


(P5AG) Persona 5: Akira Gaiden

by earth_or_bust



Series: Persona 5: Crimson [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/F, F/M, Female Protagonist, Gen, M/M, Major canon divergence, Other, Personas Are More Involved, Romantic Male Confidants, Ryuji Says Fuck, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-10-22 21:00:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10704999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/earth_or_bust/pseuds/earth_or_bust
Summary: Canon-Divergent AU. Female ProtagonistIt tore.(It burned.)Even now, I knew it would consume me.But we were free.





	1. [4/9] In which Sojiro is not as much of an ass as I expected.

_You are held captive._

 

_A prisoner of fate, to a future that has been sealed in advance._

 

_This is truly an unjust game…_

 

_Your chances of winning are almost none._

 

_But… if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you._

_…_

_I beg you. Please overcome this game and save the world…_

 

_The key to victory lies within the memories of your bonds--the truth that you and your friends grasped._

 

_It all began that day…when the game was started half a year ago…_

 

_For the sake of your world's future, as well as your own, you must remember…_

 

_\---[4/9]---_

I sprung up in shock. Shoot… I had nodded off. I hadn't been getting enough sleep lately, I suppose…  Ever since the incident, life had been stressful, to say the least. I guess getting away from everyone was enough for me to relax. At least enough for exhaustion and the lull of a mostly empty train to do the rest.

 It had seemed as if everyone I knew, my friends, my teachers, my parents… Every good relationship that I had had just… inverted. They all turned on me so quickly. And it only took the word of that one sleazy guy… This just wasn't fair….

It was getting hard to breathe. Shit... Not here... I blinked and quickly shook my head, biting my lip to keep myself from tearing up in public.

 

_"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for riding with us today. We will be arriving in Shibuya shortly. This is the last stop for this line. Please transfer here for all subway lines…"_

 

I tuned her out, relieved that I hadn't overslept. It would have been awful to have let Sakura-san down even before I met him. Not that I expected him to receive me warmly… I was a criminal now, after all.

 

(You have nothing to be ashamed of.)

 

But… at least I had been able to help that woman. Maybe. I hoped that she was doing okay. I didn't get either of their names, but… it was obvious that that man had power, I doubted that I had saved her for long. How could I have been so careless?

 

(Do you truly believe you made the wrong choice?)

 

How could I have ignored her?

I looked over, two girls around my age were talking, smiling and leaning towards each other as if they were sharing exciting news. Careful not to be caught staring, I looked out the window and listened in.

"What? Are you for real? A mental shut-down?" A city accent, paired with a squeaky voice. "It's the truth!" Oh, gosh. I spoke/thought too soon… Maybe it was a city-girl thing. It was surprising that they could speak so flippantly about what sounded like a disaster. Back home, the line between gossip and sympathy was pretty clear. I shook my head again. No way was I going to get homesick.

"To a person though?" Less-Squeaky laughed. "That's gotta be a joke! You really love all of that occult stuff, don't you?" They giggled.

I really hoped that everyone in Tokyo didn't talk like that. I made a mental note to start looking at headphones, just in case. My record was probably going to make it hard enough to make friends here. Fighting the urge to cringe and plug my ears every time that I heard someone speak would only make things worse.

We finally disembarked, and I pulled up the map on my phone. I needed to pass through the crossing? Or was it telling me to go through one of the underground hallways? I wandered for a bit, hoping the map could lock in on my GPS signal a little better once I got above ground.

I found a staircase and made my way up, a little excited in spite of myself. This way led to the famous Crossing. Not one to tag-along (or be invited) when my parents traveled, I had only ever seen it on TV. Maybe this wasn't going to be all bad… I crossed under a railway and into the street, careful to stay to the edge.  Holy. Shit. For a place famous for having a lot of people, it sure had a lot of people. It was a little overwhelming, and I could feel my heart speeding up. There were too many faces to pick out the features of any one person, but it seemed that everyone walked confidently, with a set destination in mind. I felt small, but in a good way. It was a literal sea of people. I really could just disappear here, couldn't I?

 My phone buzzed slightly. A strange red-and-black icon (or Eye-con, ha ha) had popped up. Um?

It grew, until it was taking up half of the screen. Probably some kind of ad, I _did_ get that map app for free... I tapped it a couple of times, hoping the 'close' button would appear. Ugh… Why didn't anyone put any though into programming these things.

 When I looked up, the sea was stagnant. Everyone had frozen in place, as if time had stopped, except for me. Was I still sleeping? It didn't feel like it. Suddenly, a blue light shone from across the Crossing. The flames pulsing and shifting, until they made some sort of figure. I'd Google schizophrenia symptoms later, but in that moment, it was as if something clicked into place.

 

_I know you. Don't I?_

(Yes.)

I/He(/We) grinned. It was time.

 

I don't know how long I(/We) stood there, but eventually, I came back to myself. What was I even doing?

 I looked down at my phone. That Eye-con again… It was blocking the map. I quickly dragged it towards the trash icon. That seemed to work.

 It took a little wandering, but I finally made it to the train for Yongen-jaya. I followed the directions that Sakura-san had texted me to some back-streets. The residential area was… a little run down, but it seemed cared for, at least.

 I got turned around a few times. Eventually, I made eye-contact with an officer. Maybe he could help? I smiled at him. He scowled, and I almost turned around, internally panicking, but somehow managed to hold up a friendly expression. Shit. How had I forgotten all of those clichés about city-people? I wasn't going to find the warmth of a small town here.

 The officer seemed put-off when I showed him the address, like I was wasting his time.

(Nevertheless, he's doing his duty. He was literally doing nothing besides watch the streets until you approached.)

Maybe I was imagining it though. I smiled and thanked him, waving as I headed towards the alley he pointed me too. He didn't wave back, but I think I saw him nod a little.

 Thankfully, there was literally one house in the alley. I rang the doorbell, and waited. And waited… Uh, oh.

 

(Behind you.)

 

I turned around. A deliveryman had been standing behind me at a polite distance. "Looks like no one's home." I remarked. The deliveryman smiled and waved a hand. So there _were_ friendly personalities here. "Oh, he's probably at his café then." He pointed behind me. "Leblanc's in the back alley, so I should go ahead and make my other deliveries first…"

 I headed in the direction he had gestured to. Eventually, I followed the smell the rest of the way to a building with a red patio and a small, but well-kept, garden. Coffee and curry was a weird combination to think about, but the smells mixed together well.

 Sakura-san ran a café and kept a garden? I hadn't known much about him before my parents sent me here, but it seemed that I was at least set to be living with someone kind.

I reached for the door, feeling nervous. This was basically my new legal guardian I was meeting. My parents had made it clear that I was on my own after this year.

I entered the café. An elderly couple was discussing another one of the freak traffic accidents that had been plaguing Tokyo, while a middle aged man in an apron sat backwards at the bar, working on a cross-word. I guessed that the younger one was Sakura-san. Slicked back hair with a receding hairline, glasses, a strangely styled beard, and a pink dress shirt... Not someone that I could categorize on sight, but he seemed like he had personality.

 "Oh… Right." He had noticed me. He sighed, "They did say that was today." He got up as if to greet me, but was stopped by the elderly customers, who started talking about the traffic accidents again. As the customer went on, Sakura-san sent me a meaningful look. 'See what I have to deal with?' It didn't take him long to brush them off though, and they were soon gone. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Four hours for just a single cup of joe." I grimaced in sympathy. He looked at me appraisingly, seeming confused. A few seconds passed in awkward silence. "So, you're Akira then?"

I nodded. "I guess that makes you Sakura-san." I bowed. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"Uh-huh." His put-out expression didn't change. He sighed again. I was getting the feeling that this guy did more sighing than breathing… "I'm Sojiro Sakura. You'll be in my custody over the next year. I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but you're the one, huh?" I couldn't tell if he sounded disappointed or not. "Have you been told? A customer of mine and your parents know each other and… With what they told me, I definitely wasn't expecting a girl, but I guess it doesn't matter. Follow me."

He led me up to the building's top floor. A dusty room used for storage. There was a bed in the corner. "This is your room. I'll at least give you sheets for your bed."

I nodded "Thank you." It wasn't ideal, but I was sent here on pretty short notice. And all-in-all, it was a pretty big space. Some cleaning, a little reorganizing, and this place would be really cool. I rubbed the back of my head. "Would you mind if I cleaned up in here a little?" He crossed his arms and nodded. "I was about to tell you to. Room's your responsibility. Do what you need to with what's up here, but don't let me catch you being a fool." He was still looking at me sternly, so I might have imagined it, but it seemed like he relaxed a little. "I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You'll be alone at night, but don't do anything stupid. I'll throw you out if you cause any trouble."

I nodded. "Of course. You won't have any problems from me. Tha-" He held up a hand to cut me off. "Now, I've got the gist of your situation." Oh. "You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured-" he sounded incredulous, looking me up and down again "then sued you. Right?" I opened my mouth to answer, but he cut me off again. "That's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults. You did injure him, yeah? And now that you've got a criminal record, you were expelled from your high-school." Shit. He sounded pissed off. "The courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your parents also approved." He smirked, crossing his arms. "In other words, they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass." I stayed silent, trying to keep my face blank. Best to be stoic, I really couldn't tell where this conversation was going.

"It's best you not talk about anything unnecessary. I am in the restaurant business, you know. Behave yourself for the year. If nothing happens, your probation will be lifted." I nodded again. He put a hand on his hip. "Cause any problems, and you'll be headed straight to juvie. We'll be going to Shujin tomorrow. Be on your best behavior, there's rarely a place that'll accept someone like you, you know." I almost cringe.

 

(Why be intimidated by the consequences of something that you're not ashamed of?)

 

But it doesn't reach my expression. Like hell I'm gonna let these new people get to me the same way the old ones did. I meet his eyes and nod.  He seems satisfied. "Your luggage came earlier. Didn't wanna touch your things so it's all over there." I nod, and he heads out the door without another word.

I relax. That could have gone worse. I wasn't expecting the warmest welcome, and while it seems like I got the cold shoulder, it seems like he'll thaw out once I prove that I'm not actually a violent psycho.

I go through my things. I've always been something of a minimalist, and it's not like I needed to pack my school uniforms, so the one large box was more than enough to fit all of my belongings into.

Eventually, I choose a t-shirt and jeggings, passing over the sweats for now. Wearing what's basically pj's in a restaurant just feels weird. This is gonna take some getting used to…

Cleaning the room gives me the time and space that I need to angst about the situation though. It's a nice night for an existential crisis. Two weeks ago, I had a home. If people weren't especially fond of me, at least they didn't hate me. Now it's all just glares and accusations. Everyone I knew just turned on me, and for such a dumb reason too… What should I do? Should I be sorry?

 

(No.)

 

Should I cry? Nobody'll know… But I'm not feeling it. I've already cried about it before. I know I have the right, but feeling sorry for myself just feels like a waste of time. But how do I get past it? How am I supposed to even react to it? I don't know what I expect from myself anymore. I don't even know how to process it. I just feel… blank.

 

(Was it a mistake?)

 

Agh, I've been thinking too much. I look around. I managed to dust everything, mop, and at least organize the piles of junk, if not get rid of them. I won't trip and die if I need to go and use the bathroom tonight, at least.

 I hear someone coming up the stairs. Oh gosh, I though Sakura-san had left. There's no door. What if he had come up while I was changing? "What the heck? I heard you making all sorts of noise up here, but I didn't think you were cleaning." I wondered what he thought I was doing… He looked happy though. "Actually, the place doesn't look too bad. Though it's only natural you'd want to keep your room tidy." He waved a hand. "Go to bed for tonight. Not like you have anything better to be doing, right? I'm gonna close up shop and head out myself."

Sakura-san crossed his arms, "I won't be the one looking after you if you get sick from staying up too late. Got it?" I nod, but he's already turned to head down the stairs. Man, I've gotta stop answering his rhetorical questions… "Good night!" I call after him.

 He's gruff, but maybe we got off to a good start? I slip into some sweats and into the bed, trying not to think about everything. Of course I fail.

 

(Was it a mistake?)

 

I… couldn't have passed that up. And he was drunk, I couldn't just talk it out with him.

 

_"The police are my bitches."_

 

_"Incompetent fools like you just need to shut your mouths, and follow where I steer this country!"_

 

I doubt that I really helped her though… If he thought to get revenge on some random kid who barged in on them, he probably remembered her too, drunk or not. I should look him up. He sounded high-profile, so if I figure out who he is, maybe I can find out what happened to her. ~~And maybe I can get revenge.~~

My phone beeps, interrupting my thoughts. What? The Eye-con's back. Freaking spam… I try deleting it again.

I put my phone down on the floor, next to my glasses. I'm suddenly really tired. It's been a really long day…

 -----

It's blue. I spring upright, hearing something rattle. I'm…chained? My hands are shackled, and then chained to a bolt in the wall. Except for a second bunk,  the jail-cell's in the style of the one that I was taken to after the incident. There's even a little toilet in the corner.

Someone approaches the bars. Two someone's. Two little boys. Blonde, eye-patched twins.  They're just staring at me… I try to approach them, but my foot's shackled too. Whoever decided to tie me down really went all out. The girls split and reveal a desk, with a strange man hunched over it. The big eyes, pointed ears, and long nose are unnerving, but it's the smile that really makes me nervous, in the ways that waking up chained in a random blue jail cell failed too. It reminds me of one of those grotesque dolls in horror movies.

His mouth moves, but his teeth stay together as he speaks. "Trickster… Welcome to my Velvet Room."

I'm really freaked out now. I struggle against the bars to open the door, not that it'd do any good if I even got it open. One of the boys addresses me. "So you've come to, Inmate."

And then the other, "The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are only experiencing this as a dream. "

They switch, "You're in the presence of our master. Stand up straight!" Are they going for some kind of good cop, bad cop thing? Even though, and maybe because, they're little boys, it's working. 

The doll-man speaks. "Welcome, I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter. I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well."

You know what? If this is a dream, let's just go with it.

"I summoned you to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well."

Actually, scratch that. His voice sounds _wrong._ This feels wrong. I'm chained down for fuck's sake. Dream or not, I should be fighting. My struggles are interrupted by a slam. One of the boys has an electric baton. "Know your place, inmate! Who do you think you're talking to!?"

"Let me out." I snarl.

Igor continues on as if nothing had happened. "Still, this is a surprise… The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart." Shut up. "To think a prison would appear as such… You truly are a 'prisoner' of fate." Shut up. Shutup-shutup-shutup! "In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you."

I could have told him that. My life was fucked, no matter what I did. "Are you kidding me!?" The boy slams his baton again. Igor chuckles "Haha, worry not. There is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be 'rehabilitated.' Rehabilitated toward freedom. That is your only means to avoid ruin" Ookay. "Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?"

I scoff. "Well, I'm all for avoiding ruin." Creepy voices (because that voice was so much more creepy than the smile) and cryptic talk aside, I found myself intrigued. What did he think could even help? He nodded. "Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation."

The boys stepped up. "Allow me to introduce the others. To your right is Henry; to your left Robert. They serve as wardens here."

So Henry was the bad cop? "Hmph, try and struggle as hard as you like." Yup. And Robert... "The duty of wardens is to protect inmates. We are also your collaborators…That is, if you remain obedient." The good cop then, kind of. I looked over to Igor. "I shall explain the roles of these two at another occasion." He crossed his legs. "Now then, it seems the night is waning… It is almost time. Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually…" He snapped his fingers, and an alarm started ringing. Henry, baton in hand approached me. "Time's up. Now hurry up and go back to sleep." But he just told me to look around! Grr… Words, more words, cryptic words, and garbage! I grabbed the bars. I yelled at Henry, "Come at me, then!" He slammed his baton, crackling now, against the bars.

Then nothing.


	2. [4/10] In which (almost) everyone basically hates me already.

_\---[4/10]---_

 

I woke up sweaty and more than a little pissed off.

 

 _Well, it's a good thing I decided to hold off on washing these blankets._ They had been dusty before, but now they were just gross. Finding a laundromat was pretty high on my to-do list today. _Great…_ I rubbed at my arm. My skin was crusty from the combination of dirt and sweat. I needed to clean up. The restaurant was in the residential district… Maybe the building had a tub?

 

I checked my phone [4:30 a.m.] and then went poking around downstairs. The building did, in fact have a fully equipped bathroom, and although I doubted that Sakura-san or the customers actually used the tub, it seemed to have been kept clean for appearance's sake- it even had a showerhead. I turned on the water and, noticing the steam rising up, went to grab my new school uniform- White dress shirt with a cute stringy bowtie, Black cardigan with red buttons and the school's logo, and a plaid skirt. Hopefully the steam would smooth out the wrinkles.

 

One shower later [5:00 a.m.], I was dried off and trying on my uniform. The skirt was a little loose. (Mealtimes back home had been…awkward at best after the incident, so I had just been snacking when I needed to.) My suspenders would probably hold up the skirt for now though, and I could still walk around in it without it falling down by itself… It'd be okay. Maybe I could try and wear some thicker tights or leggings under it? I'd have to get a feel for how strict the school was first though. Today I was going for the "You actually think _this_ kid's a violent psycho?" style. If I could just get my hair to behave… I had tried (and failed) to cut my really thick hair into a pixie style last year, and managing it as it grew back out had been pretty hard. The hair gods seemed to be smiling upon me today though, and with a couple of small twists and bobby pins, my hair was in a cute-ish shape.

 

I poked through the fridge a little to see if there was anything that wouldn't be missed, before heading back up to my room. [6:00 a.m.] Did Sakura-san say when he was going to get here? We'd have to leave pretty early if he was planning on driving in city traffic…

 

I was on the ground, sorting through the bookshelf, when he finally came in. The books were either really advanced or really out there, but I had found a few things that looked interesting.

 

"Looks like you're ready. Let's go." He had dressed in a white fedora and jacket. I immediately thought of the gangsters in Yakuza films or old American mob movies. I really liked his style though. Even though you could control what they said if you cared to, clothes said a lot about a person, and his were saying something along the lines of "I don't give a shit about impressing anyone. I'll dress how I want." I was becoming more and more determined to make friends with my guardian. Cold shoulders'll thaw eventually, right?

 

In the car, he briefed me on the school that I'd be attending. It was in the Aoyama district, and I'd need to buy a train pass to get to and from there after today. The route transfers would be a bit of a pain, but I'd get used to it.

 

Traffic was nuts and it was close, but we made it about 15 minutes before we were expected. The school was smaller than I had imagined, three stories high and boxed in by concrete walls. Of course, any kid not from the area was going to imagine a Tokyo school like some sort of gazillion-story-high palace. And I had _almost_ gotten excited. "Do me a favor and behave yourself, all right?" Sakura-san said, rubbing his neck. "It'd be a big pain to have to deal with any trouble from your teachers just because you couldn't hold back. Got it?" Ooh, that one stung. I guess that was how he saw it though. (It's not like he was wrong…) I looked at him wide-eyed for a second, then nodded, mouth tight.

 

I kept a polite silence for the next few hours as the staff took the time to make it clear that 1) They thought that I was trash and I should be grateful that the school would take someone like me in. 2) They would be looking for reasons to expel me, so I should be on my best behavior. 3) If I got expelled, there wasn't anything left for me, so again, I should behave.

 

On the upside, I had ended up with a super cute homeroom teacher. She really embodied the "too tired to care" style, but she pulled it off. I caught myself wanting to be her when I was older. (We did have similar hairstyles and coloring…) It didn't seem like she immediately hated my guts, either. She just didn't want to deal with trouble, and since I wasn't planning on giving her any, it was beginning to seem like things could work out.

 

As we left, Sakura-san looked pretty upset. "They're treating you like some kind of nuisance…" I shrugged,  nonchalant, "Criminal record. That was plain nice compared to how my old school handled it." He nodded. "The past follows you wherever you go." I skipped ahead a little, and turned to grin back at him, "I'll just have to change their minds then."

 

He seemed tired, "Sure, kid. Just… Don't get expelled. I don't think anyone's gonna be looking out for ya."

 

"Yeah…" I couldn't really argue with that.

\---

We were in the car, trying to get back until dark. Except for Sakura-san's muttered curses (he'd start loud, look at me, and then start grumbling instead) at other drivers and the world in general, the car was pretty quiet.

 

He slapped the wheel. "Agh…Traffic's not moving at all! You're taking the train starting tomorrow." He shook his head. "So how was it? The school, I mean. Think you can manage?" I nodded, looking down. "I mean, you saw how it was… But I really do understand what's going on." I winked at him "After all, I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by people who'll remind me any chance that they get. And people just hate my record. They don't know me yet, so maybe things'll get better? I dunno… I've gotta make it work, so I will."

 

He grunted nodding his head. "Tone down the optimism a little. Nobody's gonna be sympathetic with you… If that's what it was like at school, people might say stuff about me in the future too…"

 

"I won't give them a reason to." I promised. He eyed me, "They won't need one." He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "What a troublesome kid I've taken in…"

 

I looked down, hands fidgeting in the fabric of my skirt. "Can I ask why you took me in?" He looked away. "I was asked to. I just happened to agree. And I've already been paid for it, so it's not like I can change my mind now." He turned up the radio, just to turn it down again after hearing news of a derailed train at Shibuya station. That explained why the streets were so crowded. I really wasn't looking forward to taking the trains to school every day…

\---

We finally got back to the café around 9:00. I had asked Sakura-san about local laundromats, and he pointed the nearest one out as we pulled in. Since he was going to have to lock up, though, I'd have to wait for another day. He followed me upstairs, when I went to get my things, tossing a book at me.

 

"That's a diary. Be sure to write in it. You're under probation, and there's no special limitations on what you do in particular." He rubbed his neck. "I mean, besides following the law, that is. I'm obligated to report on you though, which is why I'm having you record your daily activities."

 

I saluted "Okie do-" and was interrupted by the chirp of Sakura-san's phone. He turned away to answer it. "Hey, what's up?...I'm about to leave right now. Don't worry. I'll be there in no time." He was speaking tenderly. So far, Sakura-san had neglected to mention any family, and wasn't wearing a ring, so I guessed that it was a girlfriend. He did seem cheerful as he locked up and left.

 

I got changed for bed, and then went down to munch on what was left of the convenience store rolls we had picked up for lunch. I watched the TV as I ate. It looked like the accident we had heard about was gonna affect the train schedule into tomorrow. Maybe, if I was lucky, it'd be enough to cancel school. Then again, Tokyo. Who knew what they'd do?

 

As I was cleaning up, the store line, one of those retro pay-phones with a turning dial, began to ring. On reflex, I picked it up.

 

"Yo, it's me."

 

"Oh, heey! It's been awhile. How've you been?" I responded, without thinking. Shit. Maybe I shouldn't be so sarcastic with him. I am on thin ice, after all. Thankfully, I heard a snort from the headset.

 

"Yeah, shove it, kid. I forgot to flip the sign to CLOSED. Go ahead and do that for me, okay."

 

"Can do! Do you want my number so you don't have to call the store line next time?"

 

"Yeah, gimme a sec..." I heard rustling. He must have been getting something to write it down on. "Alright, go for it." I read him out my number, and he hung up with a quick "Gotcha." I'd be sure to add his number if he ever called, I guess.

 

I flipped the gross blanket over, and slid into bed…before popping right back out, remembering the journal and Sakura's instructions.

 

The Arrest of Akira Kurusu

\---{4/10]---

Today I…

     Joined the Yakuza. I'll probably be the boss by the end of the week if I'm as good as they say.

 

     (I guess people'd actually believe that, if what that principal said goes to show anything.)

 

     I was with Sakura-san all day. Tokyo traffic was nuuuuts. Made a school meeting that would have only taken an hour or so back home, take about 12 hours.

 

     Those accidents probably made it worse though, I hope I can make it to school tomorrow. That accident tonight sounded pretty bad.  :.(


	3. [4/11] In which things get weird. And then weirder.

[4/11]

 

School…

 

I sprang up, grabbing my phone, which was still vibrating on low battery. Shitshitshitshitshit! I had been sleeping through my alarm… For the last 20 minutes.

 

I jumped into my clothes, pushing on my glasses, and hoping that my hair was somewhat acceptable. I'd need to leave within the next half hour to get to the trains in time, not accounting for whatever disturbances that mental break-down stuff had been causing.  Tying my ribbon-tie, I hopped down the stairs two at a time, tripping on the last few steps but managing to catch myself on the booth.

 

"So, you actually _are_ going to school today." Sakura was behind the counter, looking almost amused. He gestured to the curry and water in front of him. "I'll feed you, but make sure you finish it before the customers start coming in." I blinked at it for a second. Curry for breakfast?

 

"What's that reaction for? Just eat it." I smiled at him, "Not complaining! Thanks!" I had just planned on having to skip meals until after school, when, maybe, I could hit up a convenience store in Shibuya. Buying lunch at school was a possibility, but I didn't know how much that would cost, and I only had a few funds left from home… It seemed like Sakura was planning on providing food, but I'd still need to find a job- just in case.

 

I dug in. Wow. This was really… interesting curry. It had the bold flavors you'd expect, but it kinda tasted… fruity. If his curry tasted like this, I wondered what his coffee was like.

 

"Whoa. Are there… apples in this?" Sojiro shot me a look, half-smiling. "You've never had apples in curry before?" I shook my head, "Nah, we'd use the bricks back home. And when I'd go out with friends, I'd get the really spicy stuff, to punish any teammates who'd try to eat off my plate when I wasn't looking." I smirked.

 

Sojiro chuckled "And I was wondering how a girl like you ended up getting arrested… You played sports?" I shrugged and looked down, frowning. "Just Ekiden. We were a good team. Not 'National's' good, but good." I sighed. "I don't know how my replacement's gonna do…" I had been the team's opening runner, taking the 6K segments of the girls' half-marathon while the races were still aggressive. After the incident, I was booted from the team's group chat. Nobody would respond to me individually, either, so it was likely that I wouldn't ever hear from them again.

 

_(Not that you want to. Traitors.)_

 

I blinked, hard, and tried to disguise the wetness in my eyes with a large yawn. It wasn't like we were that close anyways. Racing was all we really had in common. Sojiro was eyeing me, an indecipherable look on his face. "You know… Shujin's probably not going to allow you to participate in any club activities." He shook his head. "That record's really going to hold you back. Not to mention, you're transferring in the middle of the year…" I made a face. "Yep." I grabbed my bag and turned to leave, avoiding meeting his eyes. "Well… I should go. Thanks for the food!"

 

"Flip the sign to open on your way out!" I didn't turn around, but shot a thumbs up over my head.

\---

It only took one commute to Shibuya for me to become weary of subways. There were too many people- I was sure that I caught an armpit to the face at least twice. At least I couldn't fall asleep while standing up… I had had to run all over the station to find the Ginza line, and found the correct gate right as the train arrived. AAAAaaaghh… I was going to have to do this every day, wasn't I? I'd get used to it.

 

It was raining as I left the station, and I stopped under the roof's overhand to check the time on my phone. The Eye-con was back, taking up the majority of my phone's screen as if to taunt me. Frustrated, I stuck it back in my pocket. That was a problem for later.

 

When I looked up, there was a girl next to me, shaking the water off of her hoodie. (I guess I could alter the school uniform. Score.) She was tall, and naturally blonde and fair. She had a sad look to her, and overall, seemed out of place, as if someone cut some clippings from a fashion mag and imposed them over reality. She looked over at me and smiled, looking uncomfortable. Shit. I had been staring.

 

As I tried to think of something to say to ease the tension, a white car rolled up in front of us. A smiling man in a blue tracksuit opened the window. "Good morning. You want me to give you a ride to school? You're gonna be late." The blonde girl considered it for a beat and then nodded. "Um, sure. Thank you."

 

Um. No ma'am. We do not hop into cars alone with older men. I guess she knew him, but still, that's just not a good idea. Maybe he's her father? The man turned to me. "Do you need a lift too?" He seemed nice enough, but this whole situation was giving me the creeps.

 

_(I sense the same. All the more reason to accompany the lady to her destination.)_

 

Aggh... I shouldn't leave her alone. I smiled nervously and bowed, before hopping into the back seat. "Thanks so much! I was gonna get soaked out there!" The blonde girl was turned towards me, staring in shock. Jumpsuit man grinned sheepishly, rubbing his neck before putting his hands back on the wheel. "Well, I'm glad to help. I haven't seen you before, so I'd guess you're that transfer who was going to start classes today?" He must be a teacher then, likely a coach. I nodded, meeting his eyes through the mirror. I wondered if he knew about my situation. I'd guess so. "Yes. I'm Akira Kurusu. It's nice to meet you both." His mouth was up in half-a-smile. "Suguru Kamoshida. I'm the volleyball coach here." he chuckled. "It's a long way from playing in the Olympics, but it's nice to be able to invest in the next generation." he pointed at the blond girl, who was looking down, mouth tight. "And this lovely lady is Ann Takamaki."

 

He laughed, turning to Ann. "You'll have to watch out for this one, Ann. We've heard that she's a real firecracker." He winked at me, and my stomach turned. So he was in the loop. His casual reference to my record instantly put me on edge.

 

_(That… wasn't in good taste.)_

 

We finally made it to the school gates, where Takamaki and I slipped out of the car as Kamoshida went to park. Takamaki had been silent the entire time…

 

I tried to break the ice. "It was nice meeting you. I'll be in class… 2-D, I think?" She relaxed a little and smiled. "So will I. We can go together, if you want?" I nodded, bouncing on my feet a little, before remembering. "Wait... I can't. They told me to stop by the faculty office first." I rubbed my arm. "Would you happen to know where that is?" She nodded. "Yeah, that's on the way. Second floor." We started heading towards the stairs.

 

"Ah… Takamaki-san?" I felt uncomfortable asking this, especially after receiving help this morning. "Yes?" We stopped in the hallway. It was emptying, but, thanks to Kamoshida, we had a few minutes until class. "I know it's not my place to ask, considering we just met, but… is everything okay with that Kamoshida guy?" Her brows furrowed, and she opened her mouth to respond, but I held up a hand. "I mean, he seemed nice enough… and I know this sounds really ungrateful or bad or whatever. It's just… something was telling me he's not someone you wanna be alone in a car with… You know?" Takamaki softened again as I spoke. My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out enough to check the time. The Eye-con was still enlarged.

 

"Kamoshida's… complicated. I'd try to avoid his attention if I were you, though." She looked down. "He's… kind of the king of the castle here, since his team's doing so well."

 

"So, he can get away with anything, then?" Takamaki nodded. "In theory. He hasn't actually done anything like what you're worried about though."

 

I tilted my head. "Um… That's good?" Takamaki snorted. "We're gonna be late. This way."

 

We headed up the stairs, and came out into an… interesting hallway. The walls had transitioned into ornate red and white patterns, with candle-lit torches extended from the walls, and golden overlays on the doors. "Um… Takamaki?" She was staring at the walls in shock. "What? This isn't…" She knelt down to run her hands over the carpet. "I don't understand. Where are we? This _has_ to be the second floor. I mean, we were literally just heading up the staircase…" I checked my phone. Out of service, and we were definitely late for class. The Eye-con was still expanded, but seemed to actually be running a program now. Some kind of map? I raised my phone so Ann could see.

 

[Destination: Kamoshida's Castle

Central Hall

Alarm: 0%]

 

We looked at each-other. What did Kamoshida have to do with this? A large figure rounded the corner. A huge masked man, carrying a shield and sword. Ann waved. "Um, hello…? We're a little bit lost." Another figure came to join him, and they exchanged a look. "Princess." The first one said. "Why are you and your companion not with Master Kamoshida?" Ann crossed her arms over her chest, slamming a foot down. "Excuse me!?" she shrieked. "Princess? And Kamoshida? I don't see-" I cut her off, "Ann. These guys look dangerous. Stay co-Agh!" My breath was knocked out of me as the other soldier whacked me with his shield arm, sending me flying into a wall, before picking my body up into a tight hold. "It's either an intruder or a slave. I'll take this one to the dungeon to await   judgement. Return the princess to King Kamoshida." The first soldier nodded, before grabbing Ann."

 

She thrashed against its grip. "Don't you touch me! Akira!" Ann screamed. I tried to breathe and respond, but the arms around me were too tight. It didn't take long for me to black out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Praise the lord, finals are over. Over the last three weeks, I've written over 30 pages, none of which were for this fic, and 10 of which weren't in English. I'm done now though, and am free to write whatever trash I please. I'm not planning an update schedule, per say, but I'm enthusiastic to continue writing.
> 
> Anyways, I've had to think hard about how I'm going to handle this. So much of Ann's character development is tied to Shiho... 
> 
> Criticism and kudos are equally appreciated. Thanks for reading.


	4. [4/11] Let there be jailbreaks

\---[4/11]---

 

My body and head were aching when I awoke. I was on the floor of a dimly lit prison cell, with chains and manacles extending from the cold stone walls. Aside from the bars of the cell though, I hadn't been restrained though. Small blessings.

 

_(But they're enough. Look around.)_

 

I rolled onto my feet, tensing up as I heard someone screaming nearby. Running to the bars, I tried to see who was crying out, but there wasn't much of a view. I reached for the door, arm slipping through the bars easily. If I was lucky, there might be an old-fashioned, but not too-old-fashioned, lock on this, one that I could manipulate with the pins in my hair. I slid my fingers over the outside of the door and eventually found a keyhole. Score. Freeing my bangs, I bent the pins into maneuverable shapes and wiggled one around in the door. It was a big lock, so I wasn't sure if I could reach and lift all of the pins, but, surprisingly, the door opened as easily with my 'lockpick' as it would probably open with a key. Bizarre…

 

I poked my head around the corner. There was a squad of soldiers approaching, accompanied by a crowned man in what seemed to be a furry bathrobe covered in hearts. Was that Kamoshida?

 

"Where is the prisoner? Guards! Search the cell!" Their backs were to me as they entered the cell, so I ran past them, apparently unnoticed. Nice. I definitely couldn't take these monsters in a fight, but if I could avoid being seen, I stood a chance of getting to Ann.

 

The ground seemed to glow and splash as I ran. What even was this? It felt like a dream, and treating it like one had been keeping me from freaking out so far. I'd just go with it and hope for the best. I made my way through several hallways of empty prison cells to some kind of indoor river. There were people in cages dangling above. I guessed that this was where the screaming had been coming from.

 

"Hey! You there!" I spun around, ready to sprint away at a moment's notice. There wasn't anyone around… "No. Down here!" A strange black creature in a yellow bandana was waving its arms frantically. "You're not a soldier of this castle, right!? Get me out of here!" It pointed. "The key's right there!"

 

I stared at it.

 

…

…

…

 

"A talking cat."

 

"I am NOT a cat!" I flinched a little, but didn't say anything. It sighed. "It's a long story… Kind of." It shook its head, ears twitching. "Listen… Let me out and we can get out of here, no sweat. I know where the exit is."

 

I shook my head. "My friend's still in here. We were separated earlier. I can't just leave her."

The not-cat nodded. "Then we'll rescue your friend too." It put its hands on its hips, staring up into the distance like it had popped out of Phoenix Ranger. "I won't turn away a pair of ladies in need."

 

Eh, what the heck? I probably wasn't any better off alone. If it turned out to be hostile, I'd just punt it. I grabbed the key and popped open the door. The chivalrous cat skipped out, eyes closed in contentment. "Ahhh… Freedom tastes so great."

 

I nodded. "Glad I could help. Are you gonna return the favor?" It struck a pose. "Don't you worry, Miss! I never go back on my word!" I waved a hand and signaled with a finger over my lips. I had heard footsteps. A patrol was likely nearby.

 

Using a hidden lever, we were able to lower the drawbridge across the river, and were immediately spotted by a guard, who… melted into a flying pumpkin thing and some sort of imp. "Stay back!" The cat sprung up, landing in front of me. "Come! Zorro!" A figure materialized from blue fire, wielding a sword. The cat had pulled out a cutlass. "Here's how you do it!" Zorro waved his sword, sending a strong gust of wind towards the monsters, and the cat jumped up, jamming his sword into the pumpkin. Dodging around the imp's attack, the cat finished him off.

 

Holy sword-cat! That was unexpected. I blinked, trying to roll with it. This was just getting weirder. When did I walk into an anime? "Wow. That was…"

The cat grinned "Amazing, right?" He posed. "You should expect no less from the great Morgana!"

 

I managed to smile. In spite of how batshit insane the entire thing was, I had to admit that Morgana was a sweetie. "I'm Akira, by the way." I looked up, where Zorro had appeared. "What was that?"

Morgana crossed his arms. "That was Zorro, but it was also me. They're called Personas."

 "Like… going undercover?"

He held up a paw. I was sure he would have snapped his fingers if he had any. "Close! You see, everyone wears a mask deep in their hearts. When you're able to remove that, your true self can manifest and you can fight side by side."

 

"So… You're actually Zorro. The… fictional Spanish vigilante." Morgana scrunched up his face.

"Kind of? It's definitely not simple. We are dealing with the sea of the soul here." he shook his head. "Anyways. If we're going to talk, we should find a better place. I don't think I can handle too many fights like that, so it's best we remain unseen." I nodded.

 

Morgana was exceptionally helpful, as the two of us snuck through the palace. It wasn't long until we were on the staircase where Ann and I had first appeared. I followed him to a hazy room. "This is a weak spot in the distortion. We should be safe here." There were chairs, so I plopped down into one, exhausted.

 

"Distortion?"

 

"We're in a world of cognition right now. It falls somewhere between mind and matter. This castle is the result of that bathrobe guy's cognition. It's how he sees the world." As if to accentuate his point, the room transitioned into a classroom, and then back again. We actually were in the school then…

 

"So those students that we left in the dungeon…" Morgana nodded. "Figments. Saving them here won't do much good." He raised a paw. "Your friend, on the other hand, can die here as easily as we can." If she hasn't already. I shook my head. Now was no time to think like that.

 

"I don't even know where to start looking for Ann." I admitted. "The guards seemed to recognize her, and took her somewhere else. They were having trouble deciding what to do with me." Morgana put a hand on his chin.

"We can work with that… I'm guessing you had only just met this Palace's owner, and that Ann… had his attention." The cat finished awkwardly. I nodded. He wasn't wrong. "Well then, was there somewhere within the school that this place is based off of that this Palace's owner would frequent?" Morgana made a face. "Possibly with women."

I shrugged. "Morgana, I barely made it through the doors of the school before I was sucked here." He hung his head. "That's a bust then… I guess we'll just have to look everywhere."

 

Luckily, that idea only took a couple of hallways on the first floor to work out. We made our way to a hallway filled with empty armor, a door at the end. I heard Ann cry out from the other side.

"You're nuts! Just let me go!" Morgana looked at me. "You ready?"

I nodded. "I bet that room's full. You and Zorro can create a diversion while I grab Ann. Just be ready to follow us out… and be careful." Morgana bobbed his head. I knew he wouldn't let us down. It made me feel a little bad. The cat had really been risking his hide for us. We had managed to avoid fighting for the most part, but both of us had taken some heavy hits, and we could only sprint around the castle for so long without getting worn out.

_(They'll make it out. Ensure it.)_

 

Resolved, we rushed the room, running past a… harem of topless school-girls.

 

_(Focus!)_

 

Ann was cuffed to some sort of device and surrounded by guards, but thankfully, she looked unharmed. Just pissed.

"What's all this about!? Seriously, I'm gonna call the cops!" Shoot… the guards were right there. How was I gonna get her out without getting us both killed?

 

"Akir-agh!" I whirled around. Kamoshida was behind us, and had just kicked Morgana into the wall.

"So… these are the intruders then." Ann, wearing cat ears and a bikini, came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Um. What? I turned to doublecheck. Two Anns. One looked just as creeped out as I felt. Kamoshida gestured towards clothed-Ann, revealing that he was only wearing a speedo under his cloak. Ew.

"When my guards told me about another princess and her friend. I knew I'd have to deal with you intruders personally." Morgana had recovered and was signaling me from behind them.

 

_(Keep them talking.)_

I sighed. My mind was having trouble keeping up with all of this insane shit, but at least my mouth was still working in proper order.

"Well, 'intruder''s a little harsh. Heh... We're enrolled here, you see. I'm just new, and Ann was showing me around." Morgana had gotten to Ann, just a little more…I brushed my bangs out of my face and smiled sweetly, trying to project as many 'totally not a threat' vibes as I could. "Thanks for the ride earlier, by the way!" I looked down, meeting Ann's eyes before looking up again. Ann was on the ground now. Morgana stuck his paw out. A thumbs up?

Feeling the weight of his attention, I started playing with my hair. Negotiating with a man who saw the world this way  was...unnerving. "We really should be getting to class though. If you'd be kind enough to let us go?" Kamoshida seemed to consider for a second.

 

"Guards!" Seemed to.

 

I was roughly grabbed from behind, and slammed against the wall behind Ann. The guards had noticed Morgana as well, and, with a well-placed bolt of lightning and two unforgiveable instances of animal cruelty. Morgana was on the ground beside me, struggling to stand.

 

Kamoshida laughed, turning to his guards. "I can't believe you mistook my Ann for someone like her." He came closer. "Are you afraid?" Ann recoiled, disgusted.

"What are those outfits? Have you lost your mind?" Kamoshida spread his arms. "I do as I please here. This is my castle, the world of my desires."

 

I couldn't see her face, but Ann sounded like she could spit. "What this is, is some kind of red-light district. Those are teenage girls! I'm a teenage girl! You're sick!"

 

Kamoshida chuckled. "What lively slaves!" Ann snarled.

"Enough of the bullshit, Kamoshida!" He turned to the other Ann. "The girls have decided to tell me off. What do you think of that?"

She looked at us through hooded eyes. "Talking back is so… unforgivable." He nodded.

"In that case… It's execution for all of them!" He grabbed Morgana by the neck. "You've been trouble… I think we'll start with you."

Morgana hissed and bit him, falling to the floor, but still unable to stand. "Ladies… I think this is it for me…" He gasped. "Run!"

Kamoshida kicked him, sending him flying again. "Take this! Useless pest!" He pressed his foot onto Morgana's head. "Good riddance!"

 

I screamed, struggling against the guard. "Stop it! Morgana!" Kamoshida paused, approaching me. "Hm… Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am, girlie."

 

  _"Do you know who I am?"_

 

"I do what I want."

 

  _"The police are my bitches!"_

 

He had to be stopped... ~~I would _destroy_  him.~~ But as it was, I was powerless. "Akira!" Ann sobbed.

 

  _This is truly an unjust game…_

He came up close to my face, grabbing it, before slamming me back into the wall. "That look in your eyes irritates me!"

 

_Your chances of winning are almost none._

I spat at him, and he paused before turning to the guard. "Hold her there. She's next."

 

_But if my voice is reaching you,_

Kamoshida turned back to Morgana, and with a jerk, I slid under the guard's arm and charged him, before being slammed back.

 

_There may yet be a possibility open to you._

**No…**

 

_(What's the matter?)_

I gasped, hearing.

_(Are you simply going to watch?)_

**Nothing I do will actually help! Nothing I do ever helps! We're stuck!**

_(Would you forsake him to save yourself?)_

**I don't even have that choice here. There's no point in asking me that.**

_(Death awaits him if you do nothing.)_

I squeezed my eyes shut and hung my head,

_(Was your previous decision a mistake then?)_

before snapping right back up. **No… it wasn't. Even if it was a mistake… Even with the consequences... That was the right choice.**

_(Very well.)_

 

_(I have heeded your resolve.)_

_(Vow to me)_

 

_(I am thou,)_

I had been imprisoned.

_(thou art I…)_

Betrayed by those I had trusted.

_(Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice!)_

I had to crushstopkillthemtosaveavengeusall.

_(Call upon my name, and release thy rage!)_

But I was trapped.

_(Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own)_

IwastrappedandIhadtogetoutoutoutoutout!

_(though thou be chained to Hell itself!)_

"Execute it!"

 

 **"That's enough."** Kamoshida turned to face (me/you/)us. "What was that?" He removed his foot from Morgana's skull. "You desire to be killed that much then… Fine!" He motioned to the guard over me, who slammed his shield into my head, knocking my glasses to the floor. Ann was crying. "Stop it! Just stop…"

 

**It's time to stop playing around.**

_(Agreed.)_

A surge of…something blasted the guards back a few feet. Ann slumped to the floor. I reached up to my face, touching… a mask _(a prison)_. I had to get it off _(break out)_. I grabbed it, and pulled, feeling my face go with it. (I/You)We'd do what it took.

 

 **It tore.** _(It burned.)_   **Even now, I knew it would consume me.**

**_But we were free._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Morgana's getting a bit more time to shine in this fic. As a game mechanic, he was frustrating, but I think he could have been (and kind of was) a good character, at least when Ryuji wasn't around. Still though, com-beared to Teddie, he's fantastic. 
> 
> Ann hasn't gotten her chance yet, in spite of being in the last two chapters, but I'm coming at her from another angle. Stay tuned.
> 
> Edit: Spacing and some other errors. Thanks to FoxonPie for pointing that out! 
> 
> It's pretty hard to thoroughly proofread your own writing, so I'll give it another week (to make it not feel like my writing anymore) before I go through and fix things in the earlier chapters. If anyone would be up for working with me as a beta, let me know. (I haven't found a messaging feature on AO3 besides comments...My tumblr is also under the name earth-or-bust) As a beta myself, I didn't think that I'd need one, but I'm finding that my actual writing is... less than ideal. I'd appreciate the help. Plus, it'd be cool to have a second opinion on plot things as well. If you're interested, let me know in the comments or via my 'earth-or-bust' tumblr.


	5. [4/11] In which I go the fuck to sleep

\---[4/11]---

 

We couldn't stop grinning. A quick wave of (your/)our wings was all it took to knock our enemies aside. This was everything that we'd been hoping for.

 

_I am the eclipse. She who would manipulate Fate itself- 'Irene.'_

 

Ann, unharmed by our outburst, remained silent, staring at us with wide eyes. It didn't take long for resolve to spark behind them though, as she rushed forward and grabbed Morgana from where he lay. We looked at her meaningfully, then towards the exit, and she nodded, understanding our intent.

 

I(/you) looked up, mind clearing. Irene was a large, lithe, figure in a blood-red suit and a closed tailcoat, cut to resemble armor. The shadow from her collar and a short, yet wide, top hat obscured her face, yet red glowing revealed her eyes and mouth. Chains waved in the air, manifesting within the fire that burned around her. Dark wings that shone with the colors of deep space lay close to her back in the appearance of a cape. All in all, we were pretty awesome.

 

Irene had her hand above her mouth, as if to conceal scornful laughter. She looked down to me for a bit, assessing, before nodding in my direction and speaking.

 

_I am the rebel's soul that resides within you… If you wish, I might consider granting you the power to maneuver this disaster._

 

She was teasing. Mostly. I grinned up at her.

 

**Let's go then.**

 

_Hm… Very well._

 

Though his guards had been knocked down, Kamoshida still dared to stand before us.

"Who the hell are you!?" His eyes narrowed. "Guards!"

Quickly, the Shadows I had cast about the room rose to their feet and charged me. Ann and Morgana were nowhere in sight. Irene shifted, as she observed the same.

 

_It would seem that we have already won, then._

 

I smiled, tensing for a fight. A small, yet ornate, revolver had appeared from the blaze that had consumed me, and I was aware of the larger pistol that was hidden beneath my coat.

 

**Now it's only a matter of escaping.**

 

Many of the guards had revealed themselves to be small fry- "Pyro Jacks," Morgana had called them- and the largest Shadow, a demon on a… porcelain throne, seemed to be stationary.

 

I looked over to Kamoshida with a mock-pensive expression, "I believe…" Without looking, I shot both guns, and in seconds the Pyro Jacks were on the ground. "that that would be my cue."

 

Sliding under a blast of ice, I evaded the toilet demon and made it out the door, where Ann was looking around the corner, holding Morgana to her chest. I grabbed her free arm, still running.

 

"Let's go!"

 

I wouldn't risk the safe room. Who knew how it would respond to enemies actively pursuing us? We sprinted towards the entrance hall, an area connected to the dungeons. Morgana had said that there was an exit somewhere around here… I tried a door but it was locked.

 

Ann was out of breath. "I think-" she panted and dropped to her knees, "we lost them for now."

 

I pulled out my phone.

 

[Kamoshida Castle

Old Castle 1F

Alert: 90%]

 

There weren't any enemies nearby, at least…

 

"Mrmphfmphmrrmph…!" Ann squealed, dropping Morgana, who, though bruised was grinning widely. "That was great! I knew you were something special, but wow!" I flushed. So did Ann.

 

"Wait… Were you awake!?" She shrieked, looking furious.

 

Oh, yeah… She had been holding Morgana to her chest. I stepped away from the cat, just in case.

 

The not-cat's grin faded, and he stuttered. "Um… N-nope! Just woke up!." Blue light surrounded him, and then faded.

 

He looked to me, "Yeah… You got pretty banged up too… I guess your Persona's not a healer…" The world lit up for a second, and I felt something like a breeze pass through me. Zorro. The throbbing in my head and side finally faded into the background.

 

I sighed and rubbed my shoulder, finally relaxing. "Thanks. For everything."

 

Morgana gave a little bow to each of us. "It was my pleasure, Ladies." He sighed, pawing his ear. "I only wish I hadn't been taken down so quickly. That was incredibly close."

 

"It worked out though." I put a finger to my chin. "Well, supposing we get out of here…"

 

Ann had finally calmed down enough to get worked up again. "Um. What's going on?" She looked to me, fists clenched. "Where in the world are we…!? Why is everyone dressed so weird!? And, what is that? Why is it talking?" She looked angry, but her hands were shaking.

 

Morgana waved his arms. "J-just calm down. Everything's going to be okay. Don't worry."

 

"How am I supposed to calm down!?" She shot her hand out, roughly pushing Morgana's head down in order to stand up herself. She took a deep breath, clenching her eyes shut, before relaxing and looking to me.

 

"Akira, right?" I nodded. "So… What's up with that outfit?" I looked down at myself. I knew that my clothes had changed, but this was a little ridiculous. I looked like some sort of Victorian cosplayer. I had on a large black tailcoat, buttoned, but shorter in the front, with dark, form fitting, slacks underneath. The only color that I was wearing was a set of bright red gloves. Even my glasses had disappeared, leaving space for the mask that I had torn off earlier.

 

_It's my gift to you. What was once our prison is now our most useful tool…_

 

The coat was large enough to hide holsters for my guns… mostly. Ann recoiled.

 

"Are those guns!?" I raised my hands, palms forward, pleading.

 

"Please try to calm down. Now's not the time to freak out." She closed her mouth, glaring at me.

 

Morgana jumped between us, sensing the tension. "Long story short, we're in a cognitive world, spawned by that guy's twisted desires. Akira's rebellious spirit manifested into the power to fight the monsters that inhabit this world. And I can talk because I'm not a cat."

 

He bowed. "I'm a gentleman! And I'm at your service, Lady Ann!"

 

Exhaustion chose that moment to catch up with me, and I fell to the floor, costume dissipating into my school uniform.

 

Morgana nodded. "Yeah. We should save this for later." He pointed to the next room. "Let's get out of here." The cat grabbed my arm, somehow, encouraging me to stand again, before running further ahead. Me and Ann exchanged a look, and then followed him.

 

This room was empty, except for a fenced off wall with a vent. Wait…

 

Morgana jumped onto it, pulling off the cover, before bowing to us. "And this, I'm afraid, is where we have to part. There are still things that I need to do here, so we'll have to split up for now."

 

I nodded, giving him a tired smile. "Don't get caught again, okay?" He closed his eyes and laughed smugly, like he was the star of some cheesy shounen anime. "You better be careful too. I'll cat-ch you around." He winked.

 

Ann threw her head back and groaned, laughing a little, "What have I gotten myself into…?" before climbing into the vent herself. She grabbed my arm and helped me in after her.

 

Climbing out was a confusing mess, but somehow, we ended up sprawled on the ground outside of the school. Ann sighed, closing her eyes "We made it…"

 

A voice chirped from my pocket. "You have returned to the real world. Welcome back." Ann grabbed my phone, poking at the screen.

 

"Whatever just happened, it has to do with this app." She looked up at me, "What even is this?"

 

I shrugged. "It just appeared on my phone when I got to Tokyo. I tried deleting it, but it keeps popping back up." Ann poked at my phone a little more, before handing it back to me.

 

"There. That's my contact info." she stood up, putting her hands on her hips, and I followed suit, brushing out my skirt before finding her finger in my face. She had an intense expression on her face. "You let me know if _anything_ happens. Don't try to go back there without me." She crossed her arms, looking away. "You really worried me, you know? For a second there, I thought…"

 

Gently, I touched her arm. "We're okay now. And, whatever's going on with Kamoshida, and the castle, and that cat… We'll figure it out."

 

Ann grimaced, clenched her hands into fists for a second, before relaxing, smiling and nodding at me.

 

She laughed, wiping her eyes. "You know, I never got the chance to thank you for earlier. Even before all of this 'castle' stuff, Kamoshida's been creeping me out, but… he's my best friend's coach. You know? If I handle him too badly, that could have consequences for her…"

 

She pulled at one of her pigtails. "I guess I'm saying too much…"

 

I felt sick, in a way that went beyond the Kamoshida-inspired nausea I had been experiencing. Ann tilted her head.

 

"Are you okay?"

 

I knew I needed to respond, but as I opened my mouth, I just fell over.

"Akira!"

 

I think she caught me, since I was still upright as I saw two men in uniform running towards us. Against my will, my eyes closed…

 

\---

 

And the next thing I saw was a white tiled ceiling. I was so tired… It took a couple tries for me to roll over, sitting up. There were blue curtains everywhere. Was this a hospital?

 

"Akira?" I looked over. Ann was in a chair to the side of the bed, a magazine in hand. She put it down. "Oh gosh, you're okay…" She hit me in the arm. "Stop worrying me like that! I haven't even known you for a day, and you've seriously freaked me out like, three times now!"

 

I blinked at her, still not coherent enough to respond. She sighed, crossing her arms. "You passed out outside of the school. Some officers came by and helped me get you to the nurse's office." She looked down at me with half of a smile.

 

"I convinced them to leave soon enough for me to make something up about you getting sick as soon as we got to school, and me staying with you in the bathroom all morning, so that's our alibi, okay?" She winked at me and stuck out her tongue for a second.

 

"With all of this weird stuff, I think it's best we have each-other's backs."

 

Giggling, I sat up a little more. "And the nurse?" The room was empty, after all.

 

Ann rolled her eyes. "It's after hours, so she left. She said you had just fallen down out of exhaustion, so some rest would probably fix you up."

 

She looked like she wanted to punch something. "Ugh! Like falling over out of exhaustion is some small thing. Although, take a look at the volleyball team… I've dragged Shiho here twice already… I guess at Shujin, this really is no big deal."

 

She stood up, holding out a hand. "Can you stand?"

 

I took her hand and slid out of bed. She nodded. "Good. Now…" she poked me in the chest, almost pushing me back into the bed.

 

"Go." Poke. "See." Poke. "A doctor."

 

She poked me once more for emphasis, then reached over, grabbing a manila folder. "The nurse made you a copy of your info, so there's no excuse. Even after all of that… collapsing's really something to worry about, and they hit you in the head a lot, so we should make sure you're okay."

 

I nodded. Ann crossed her arms again, but seemed satisfied.

 

"Good. Once we make sure you're okay, we'll try using that app again, and get to the bottom of this." she sighed. "I've got to go… Are you gonna be able to make it home on your own?"

 

"Yeah." I was still extremely tired, but as long as I set a bunch of alarms, just in case, riding the subway shouldn't be a problem.

 

Ann still looked worried. "Okay… Just give me a call if anything happens." I shot her a thumbs up, and she grabbed her bag and left.

 

I sighed… I should be freaking out about this all… Honestly, I even expected Ann to freak out more. She was way tougher than she looked, I guess.

 

_A worthy ally. The Lover's arcana… even while restraining herself, she's been more help than I anticipated._

 

**I should also be freaking out about the voice in my head…**

 

I felt Irene shrug, somehow.

 

_Why? I've been here the whole time. You've just gained the ability to acknowledge what you already know._

 

My phone beeped, a text from Ann:

\---

Ann: [I almost forgot!]

 

Ann: [Kawakami-sensei said you should meet her in the faculty office before school tomorrow.]

 

Akira: [Got it. Thanks.]

 

Akira: [For everything.]

 

Akira: [Seriously. This could have been a lot worse.]

 

Ann: [ (-.-) Shut up and go see a doctor already.]

 

Akira: [*thumbs up*]

\---

 

I collected my things and headed towards the school's entrance.

 

"Hey, you!" Somebody was yelling. I turned around to see a boy with an… intense bleach job lopsidedly running towards me. Before I knew it, his hand was slamming on the locker behind me, pinning me back.

 

"What happened this morning!?" He seemed furious. I was too surprised to even think about answering clearly.

 

I stayed silent, looking up at him. A beat passed, and he flushed red. "Aw, shit!" He cringed, knocking himself in the head.

 

"That wasn't… I… Dammit!" He groaned, shoulders collapsing forward, before he stepped away from me, rubbing his neck.

 

"I'm sorry... That came out wrong." He pressed his hands together. "Please-please-please don't freak out… I just saw you and Takamaki get in a car with Kamoshida this morning, but y'all never showed up at school."

 

He looked up, eyes searching mine. "Are you guys okay?"

 

I nodded. He relaxed, extremely, leaning against a locker. "That's a relief... Kamoshida's a freakin' creep, man! You guys should avoid him." He looked at me, flushing again. "Um… yeah. A-anyways, I'm Ryuji Sakamoto."

 

I tried to smile, and didn't fail as badly as the situation warranted. "Akira Kurusu."

 

I crossed my arms, and looked at him sideways, smile growing larger against my will. "I guess since you were so worried, I'll fill you in. I was supposed to transfer into 2-D today, but I got sick this morning. Ann stayed with me."

 

"Wow… first name basis already?" He was grinning. Was that any of his business?

 

I shrugged. "It's been a long day. Besides," I narrowed my eyes, and poked my finger into his chest, copying Ann's actions from earlier.

 

"You shouldn't be questioning the manners of a girl you just screamed at and pinned to the lockers." His smile disappeared at that. I almost felt bad.

 

"Agh, yeah. Sorry again…"

 

_Flirt with him. Right now. And then walk away._

 

**What!?**

 

I raised an eyebrow at Sakamoto, trying to project skepticism, rather than the shock that was going through my head. Best to make him worry about himself instead of why I was spacing out.

 

_I am only saying it because you want to do it. What's more, this is a perfect opportunity. As unpracticed as you are, I doubt you could make this particular situation more awkward._

 

She had a point. Eh, what the hell? He was still sweating under my gaze. I let the mask crack a little, smirking, and then letting it spread into a genuine smile. I laughed. "Aw, whatever… You're lucky you're cute."

 

Sakamoto's blushing, stuttering, reaction was one for the books. Okay… I had to admit that this was fun. I gave him a mock salute, "I'll see you around." I decided, before walking around him and out the doors.

 

\---

 

Of course, Karma had me cringing at my actions the whole way home…

 

_I really don't see why you're upset. Chariots generally appreciate directness in the long run._

 

**Hey, I'm as proud as I am embarrassed. But still... I've never done anything like that to a stranger before. And 'Chariots?'**

_Tarot classifications. They can be used to describe the souls of mankind. It's not worth explaining in its entirety right now. You should think of what you'll say to the Hierophant though…_

 

Did she mean Sakura-san? I… was feeling distinctly uncomfortable with the names that my persona was giving everyone. She was me, right? So why was she… classifying the people I had been meeting? Maybe Morgana would know. He had a Persona too, so it only made sense to ask him next time I saw him.

 

\---

Sakura-san was on the phone when I made it back. Noticing me, he ended his call.

 

"Hey, I've gotta fill in my new part-timer on what's what. I'll call ya back tomorrow."

 

He hung up, and then waved for me to come over. Shit. I had had the whole train ride to think of something to say, but still drew a blank as I made my way to the counter.

 

"I got an interesting call from your school today." I couldn't read his expression...

 

"Yeah…" So I chose not to look at it. The counter-top was much less threatening.

 

I had _just_ promised him that I wouldn't cause trouble, and here I was missing school on the first day. I ran a hand through my, still unpinned, bangs. None of this could really be helped right now, but I would have to do better.

 

"There was another student with me when I fell over, so I'm not in trouble with the school, at least."

 

Sojiro sighed. "Kid, I don't know what to tell ya…" He scratched the back of his head, thoughtful. "I've got a regular who runs a clinic. I might be able to sweet-talk her into checking you out the next time she rolls by."

 

I looked up at him, shocked. I had expected him to chew me out- maybe threaten me a little. He frowned. "Hey, don't look at me like that. Sick's sick. Besides, you've looked like crap since I've met you, so it's not like I can't believe it."

 

Wow Sojiro. Tell me how you really feel. Still… I shot him a tired smile. "Thanks. For everything." He made a face, and wouldn't meet my eyes.

 

"You can thank me by going straight to sleep, ya dumbass. There are leftovers in the fridge, so eat those too." He rubbed between his eyes. "I'd remind you about how serious this probation is, but you already know. Still, you can't be missing school every day because you didn't sleep the night before…" He looked thoughtful. "You fell asleep in the car yesterday too…"

 

That was news to me...

 

_Perhaps time in that...prison cell isn't actually sleep. Be wary when you're summoned again._

 

I looked down. "I'm really sorry about this."

 

He shrugged. "Apologize by getting some food and sleep in you. It won't look good if the kid I'm watching gets knocked over by a stray breeze."

 

\---{4/11}---

 

Today I…

 

Dealt with what turned out to be the world's most complicated navigation app.

(I should have stuck to Google Maps…)

 

Passed out.

 

Got into a car with a strange man.

(Coach Kamoshida offered us a ride in the rain.)

 

Made friends with the girl who got into the car first.

 

Had and resolved an identity crisis- anime style.

 

And... met a cute boy.  ;P

 

Maybe not specifically in that order.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's [4/11]. Finally. 
> 
> I dropped Irene on y'all with no warning, but cookies go to whoever figures out what other little twist (or twists?) I've been hinting at since chapter 1.


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up in chains.

"On your feet, Inmate!" SLAM. God damn it. This guy again…

"Our master wishes to speak with you." The kid wasn't yelling, so I guessed that was Robert. "It's for your own sake that you take his words to heart."

I rolled off of the bed and made my way to the bars. Giving the door an experimental shake, I eyed Igor.

"Firstly, let us celebrate our reunion." I raised an eyebrow at him, incredulous.

 _So this is the Velvet Room then…_ Irene seemed apprehensive. It was the first time I had felt anything other than smug confidence from her before.

**Is something wrong?**

Noticing my distraction, Henry slammed his baton against the bars. "We said 'Listen,' Inmate!"

_Nothing that can't be addressed later. Igor is a well-known entity among those who inhabit this world. You'd do well to listen to him._

I nodded. Igor seemed to be waiting expectantly for my attention.

"It would seem that you've awakened to your powers. And special ones at that." His smile grew. "Your rehabilitation can finally begin."

"Rehabilitation?"

"There is no need to understand it all for the time being."

I crossed my arms and scowled. "Bullshit."

Although Henry waved the baton in warning, Igor simply ignored me and continued. "You will be training the power of Persona, which you have awakened to. Personas are, in other words, a 'mask'-- an armor of the heart when confronting worldly matters." He nodded to himself.

"I have high expectations for you." Well… that was an ominous line. I let out a breath, and waited for him to finish his spiel.

"There is no need to worry. You will learn when the time comes… By the by… have you come to appreciate the Metaverse Navigator?"

I narrowed my eyes. "The eye-con…"

As Igor nodded, part of me contemplated the physics of his nose. It didn't seem to droop at all… "Using the… eye-con" He tried the word out, seeming to humor me, although his voice came out condescending. "will allow you to come and go between reality and Palaces."

Palaces… Morgana had used that word too.

"Now… I have bestowed the Metaverse Navigator to you as a means to train you as a thief."

"A thief…" Did that mean that there was something in the Palaces worth stealing?

Henry turned to me. "The Metaverse Navigator is a gift from our master! You better take care in using it, Inmate!"

I mock-saluted the kid. "Yes, sir!"

SLAM!

When my ears stopped ringing, Robert was standing over me calmly. "We ask that you devote yourself to your training, so that you may become a fine thief."

 **Irene. Do you have any idea?** It seemed that, though Irene was supposedly a part of me, she had insight into matters of this world that I lacked.

 _A Journey. You've been cast as the Fool. These beings, and the abilities they may grant you, are simply meant to help you play the role._ With her words, a strange feeling made its way from her to me. Apprehension, but mixed with a bitter resolve.

"It must be disheartening to make use of the Metaverse Navigator alone. Should there be others who would prove beneficial to you, I will grant it to them as well."

He leaned over, serious. "This is all for you to grow as a most excellent thief."

"What are you getting out of this? As I asked the question, a bell began ringing in the background. Henry slapped the rod into his hand.

"It's time for you to go. Enjoy whatever rest you might have." Even as he said the words, my eyes were falling shut.

\----[4/12]---

I made my way to the faculty office first thing in the morning. Kawakami-sensei was slouched over her desk, and groaned as I came in.

"Unbelievable… Missing your entire first day…?" She turned her chair to me, clearly irritated. "Will you pull yourself together? You were given fair warning the other day."

I stayed quiet, waiting for her to go on. The less that I said, the less trouble I could cause for myself. They could assume what they wanted. Hell, they'd assume what they wanted even if I had an explanation to give them.

Kawakami put a hand to her temple. "More importantly… There was a boy asking about you yesterday, Sakamoto-kun." She made a face. "Try not to get involved with him. He's trouble." She looked down. "He wasn't like that when he was devoting his time to track and field though…"

So the teachers here were like that too, then. How many people thought that the first sign of 'trouble' truly warranted a retreat?

Kawakami stood up, stretching, and interrupting my thoughts. "Ugh, anyways. Let's go. I'll have you introduce yourself to the class. Follow me."

She gathered her things, gave me my textbooks, and we walked to 2-D in silence. As we approached the door, Kawakami stopped and turned to me. "Listen. When you introduce yourself… It'd be better not to say anything unnecessary, okay? Even if you have to lie to the class."

Yes. Because I totally was going to go in there like- "Heya guys and gals! I'm Akira Kurusu! I'm here because I've got a record of assault, and this was the most legal way for my family to kick me out! Isn't that cool!?"

Actually...that was kind of tempting.

I sighed and nodded to Kawakami. I was majorly overthinking this. I doubted I was going to make friends here anyways. I hadn't been popular at my old school by a long shot. This wasn't an anime. The irresistible aura of the transfer student wasn't going to be a thing…

Still, I got a lot of curious looks when I followed Kawakami in.

"I'd like to introduce a transfer student: Akira Kurusu." she turned to me. "Please say something to the class."

I waved awkwardly. "Hi."

They stared.

I stared back.

Clearly this was an issue of dominance. I would have to prove myself against the crowd. Whichever of us broke first woul-"Oookay!" I felt a hand on my back pushing me towards the windows. "Your seat will be over there. The one in the back that's free." And the one that was behind Ann. Score.

I smiled and waved at her as I approached. Halfheartedly, she smiled back. She looked worried. I'd have to see what was up later. Until then…

I slipped my books into the desk and sat down before hiding my phone in the desk.

[Akira: Say gurl… Come here often?

Akira: I'd hope so, because…

Akira: The class rep's taking attendance, and he's a cutie.]

Ann checked her phone, then shot me the stink-eye. I grinned at her, shameless. It may have just been the result of more sleep-deprivation, but I was feeling extra playful today.

[Ann: -.-

Ann: You should know…

Ann: You're not that funny.]

The girls next to us were whispering to each other. Or at least they would have been whispering if they had any discretion whatsoever.

"Omigosh. So you caught that, right? Those two know each other."

"Yeah. Like, they both missed class yesterday…" I heard a giggle. "Maybe she's cheating on Mr. Kamoshida with her."

"I saw them both get out of his car though..." She was smirking, I could hear it in her voice. "I'll bet it's a three-way."

"I mean, I wouldn't be surprised. This is Takamaki-san we're talking about…"

I shot a quizzical look over at the girls, but they didn't seem to care that I had noticed them. Ann hadn't reacted visibly at all, either. Was this the norm, then? Back home, people were a little more careful about gossip… It was a small town, so infighting was a big deal whenever it happened.

I turned to look at the guy seated behind me. The way he jumped in his seat and started blushing made it obvious he had been staring. After hearing rumors like that, I couldn't blame him.

Ah, what the heck? You only get to make a first impression once. I waited for him to finish up with looking frantically at anything but me, and we made eye-contact again.

I winked.

He honestly looked horrified. If he could reasonably have run out of the room when class was in session, I think he would've. From the expression on his face, I'd have bet he was considering it.

He didn't get the chance though, as I heard someone yell. "Hey, new kid!" Shit. Class had started while my attention was elsewhere. Reflexively, I moved out of the way of the piece of chalk the heavyset man had hurled my way. Unfortunately, my dodge was spastic, and it launched off of my arm, hitting the boy behind me in the face.

_[Proficiency=1 Graceless]_

**[X] _Apologize._**   
**[ ] _Pretend this never happened and attempt, against all odds, to never talk to this guy again._**

"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry!" The boy didn't answer, simply sinking into his seat. Still, I could feel him trying to will me out of existence.

_[Charm=1 Offensive]_

[X] _**A** **pologize.**_  
[X] _**Pretend this never happened and attempt, against all odds, to never talk to this guy again.**_

"Ms. Kurusu! If you'd be so kind as to finish distracting the class… It seems like you have more to learn about being a decent human being than the rest of us." The class laughed.

"Now… The Greek philosopher Plato divided the human soul into three parts." He pointed at me. "According to his philosophy, a soul is composed of appetite, spirit, and what else?"

Oh gosh… Everyone's eyes were on me. The confidence I had played at when messing with my classmates earlier had entirely dissipated.

_Hm… This will be a good lesson._

If I took too long to think this through… I regretted my entire life up until this moment. Why didn't I just get killed by that toilet-demon...?

_[Knowledge: 1 Unaware]_

"Kurusu! Answer the question!"

I flinched. Okay… I didn't know anything about philosophy… but what did people seem to consist of? Heart for sure, which was probably 'spirit.' Appetite could count for people's desires… The only thing left to balance what those things covered was.

"Brains!" The class was silent, and the professor was looking at me in shocked distaste. "I mean… The ability to think those other things through."

"You're… Technically correct." The professor, Ushimaru, launched into a lecture on Plato's philosophies and how Aristotle built upon them, which devolved into a scattered commentary about how it applied to the 'scum' of society. I slumped into my desk, relieved.

_You know… I am you, and I implore you to use my power while you can, but you can only rely on me for so much…_

**What do you mean?**

_Even the confidence that you seem to glean from my presence is fallible if you aren't working your hardest to back it up. After all, 'I am thou…Thou art I…' Just as I lend you my power, I rely on yours._

I sank further into the seat. She was right. I was really going to have to step up my game if I was going to be able to maneuver through this probation and 'rehabilitation.'

\---

I bumped into Kamoshida on my way to lunch. He was wearing pants, which was a considerable improvement.

"Kurusu!" He snapped his fingers. "Just the student I was looking for. Come to my office."

But…food. I sighed, mourning my stomach, and followed him to the practice building. My eyes caught a flash of yellow, as Sakamoto passed me by, spinning around as he saw us. I shot him a nervous smile, but kept walking.

**Do you think Kamoshida remembers yesterday?**

_That's not possible. Though… the influence of a person's Shadow can be hard to predict. Be on your guard._

I fingered my glasses, trying to look as uninteresting as possible. "Sir… What's this about?"

He smiled warmly and clapped me on the back, "Don't worry, you're not in trouble… yet" He winked. "We just need to get you a set of the school's gym clothes. I don't think there'll be another chance before the exhibition."

The office was empty. Kamoshida turned to close and lock the door.

Unsurprisingly, this made me nervous. Not knowing where to look, I checked the time on my phone. Then, remembering yesterday, I pressed the 'record' button, just in case.

Kamoshida grabbed a clipboard off of his desk with what I guessed was the uniform inventory. Then, he leaned over to pull a raggedy box out from underneath his desk, handing me a red tracksuit.

"Go ahead and try these on." I stared at the door. "Um… okay. Where's the nearest bathroom?"

"I don't think that you'll need one of those." I looked up at him in shock.

"Excuse me?"

He leaned over across the desk, leaving his face inches from mine. This allowed me to notice how much his breath stank, and also gave me the chance to consider how he was functionally twice my size…"I hear that there's no modesty in prison. I thought that you'd be used to this?"

I stepped back, not giving him ground, but trying to face away from the smell. "I was in solitary, actually." I could see where this was going now… I wasn't going to let him cow me. Lunch break was only so long, after all.

He sighed. "I knew you were going to be hard to work with. It's really a shame. Here we are, offering you a fresh start… And you're just too much of a problem child to let us help you."

He put his hand to his chin, mocking deep thought. "You know, every teacher knows about you. We're really taking this 'second chance' thing for you seriously, and we're doing it pretty well too. There's not a student here who's heard about your… exploits. Though…" He smiled, meeting my eyes. "If you keep acting up like this, and failing to earn the goodwill of your teachers, I don't know how long it will last."

Blackmail, huh? At least I knew his game now… I reached over for the clothes, which he pulled above my reach as my hand drew close.

He waved a finger. "So impolite. You should remember to say 'please.'"

I nodded, face carefully blank. "Could I please have my gym clothes?" He grinned at me and tossed them into my waiting hands.

Without a word, I slid my shorts under my skirt, with the track pants after it, before taking those off again. I did the same with my top. It easily fit over my uniform shirt and jacket. I put the track jacket on, zipping it up and down, before removing the gym uniform.

This was a trick I had learned as part of a travel team, where we'd often have to change into running clothes in a car. It was pretty simple to remove a layer of clothing even after it was below another.

 _That was well put._ I could feel Irene smirking, probably because I couldn't.

Instead, I smiled sweetly. "They seem to fit, thank you." I backed up, reaching the door and unlocking it, before playing my ace. I showed him the screen of my phone. "Oh darn. It looks like my phone's been recording this whole conversation." I left it hanging, wanting him to squirm.

Instead, he just shrugged. "I don't know what that has to do with anything." His eyes narrowed. "It sounds to me that you're reading into things a little too much, trying to cause drama. That's not going to fly here." His smile turned nasty.

"After all, we know your history."

Kamoshida leaned back into his desk chair, crossing his arms behind his head. "I'm quite confident that the principal will have my back no matter what a delinquent like you brings him."

_"The police are my bitches!"_

"Now Kurusu… Past mistakes aside, I'm quite interested in you." He pulled out some papers. Wait… Was that?

"Physicals?" Kamoshida nodded.

"I requested them from your old school. Track, huh? And it was the Ekiden events you were running, too…" He looked me up and down. "I'd bet that you're in great shape." I crossed my arms. He wasn't wrong, but at this point, I just wanted to leave his office and never see him again.

"Now, the Shujin track team has disbanded, but the majority of its members simply joined my volleyball team. I'd like to invite you to do the same." Whoa. Wait. What!?

_His shadow has identified you as a threat. I believe this is an unconscious response, since you've barely interacted on this side- but he's become more active in trying to suppress you._

**The prison in his Palace… That's the volleyball team?**

_His perception of it, at least._ His shadow wanted you locked away there or dead. It would make sense that he wants the same.

Ignoring my reaction, Kamoshida continued. "I've already called your parole officer about it. He seemed to think it was a good idea as well. Said that maybe I'd be a good influence on you."

He winked. "Whatever attitude you have, I'm sure that, as your coach, I can adjust it."

I had been able to keep my cool so far, but suddenly, I felt my heart beating as fast as it had that night. I inclined my head, keeping my face clear of the panic I was feeling.

"I'll… consider it." I said, ducking my head out of the room. Delaying my response would at least delay the retribution.

I found a set of couches as I wandered the still-empty practice building. I let myself fall into one, crouching over to put my head in my arms. The situation had left me near tears, so it was best that I stopped to pull myself together before I headed back to the main building.

**What should we do then? There's no way we can just leave scum like that to… exist like that.**

**How do we make them stop?**

Irene was silent. Probably because I had no idea.

"That was fucked up." I squealed and sprang to my feet as someone plopped down next to me. Sakamoto.

I tried to be nonchalant as I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. The shock had knocked a few tears lose. I let out a bitter sounding laugh. "You know, if you keep this up, I'm going to have to assume that you're stalking me."

The vulgar boy shook his head. "Kamoshida. Not you." He rubbed a fist into his other hand. "We've got a hell of a score to settle."

I didn't smile. "You're not the only one, I guess."

That's right… Kamoshida had mentioned the track team, so had Kawakami. I wondered if any of the screaming I had heard in the dungeons had come from a version of Sakamoto.

"How much of…" I waved a hand around "that did you hear?"

He shrugged, looking down and clenching his hands into fists. "Probably all of it. I followed y'all from the classrooms. I was behind the door when you left."

For some reason, I laughed. Although that was the last thing that I felt like doing. "All of it."

I smiled at him, shaking my head. "He wanted me to take my clothes off. You better have a great fucking reason for just standing there."

He tensed. "I froze up, okay!?" It was an interesting contradiction. He was shouting, but he wouldn't meet my eyes.

Sojiro's words rang in my head. _"Tone down the optimism a little. Nobody's gonna be sympathetic with you._ "

If I was going to keep fighting, or rather, start fighting in earnest, I was going to be alone. That's just how it was. There was a reason everyone kept their heads down. Still… I couldn't help feeling disappointed. I had only talked to Sakamoto twice, but he really seemed upset about the things that it seemed that Kamoshida was getting away with.

He had wanted to take down Kamoshida enough to track down a stranger he had seen in his car, enough to follow the man around when things seemed fishy… Just not enough to risk actual consequences.

It wasn't fair for me to expect that of him, though.

_Normally, a Chariot would be more bold than this. Even when reversed, their Arcana directly symbolizes action, with or without direction._

I sighed, remembering screaming. "Yeah. Okay."

I wasn't going to thank him for trying, especially since he didn't do crap, but I did feel a little better knowing that I hadn't been totally alone there.

Whatever. I'd deal with this later. I stood up, brushing my skirt off. "Lunch break's almost over. Let's just head back to class."

\---

After class, I searched for Ann, wanting to discuss yesterday's, and today's, events. Kamoshida had gotten to her first, though, offering a ride again. I stood out of sight, listening as she managed to deflect him by bringing up plans for a photoshoot.

"Hey now… Being a model's fine and dandy, but don't work your pretty little self to the bone." That's right… Kamoshida did have a distorted version of Ann in his palace, didn't he? He must think of her as his own personal… something with kitty ears.

Apparently Ann had been using appendicitis as an excuse to get away from him for a while, and he seemed to be holding a friend of hers hostage now… It seemed that he had been asking her out, but a negative response wasn't something that he would accept.

[Akira: He's been messing with me too.

Akira: Need backup?]

She checked her phone, and we locked eyes, but she simply shook her head, before making a face, and discreetly shaking one of the hands at her sides a bit, sticking only her thumb and pinky out. Like a phone.

I passed them by, heading out of sight and towards the school doors, before dialing her number.

It rang a couple times before she picked up. "Oh, hey!"

"So do you really have a shoot? I wanted to talk to you about that place."

"Yeah! I'm on my way to the shoot now. I'm running a little late, but I could be there in time if I leave right now." Clearly Kamoshida was dragging the conversation out.

"Okay. It's cool. Text me when you can?"

"Of course!"

_This situation seems… highly explosive._

**I'll say.** It was only a matter of time before one of the students he was hitting on snapped, leaving it all to blow up in his face… or, as my own experiences would show, allowing him to just place the consequences of his own misdeeds upon his victims. Still… Even though it was a foregone conclusion, I'd prefer to get Ann and myself out from under his influence as soon as possible.

\---

Sakamoto was waiting for me outside of the gate.

"Hey." He stuck his hands in his pockets, looking apprehensive.

"Hey." I gave him half a smile, raising an eyebrow. What was this about?

"Listen… I'm sorry about earlier. I just stood there, when you could have used the backup." He shook his head. "I couldn't even think of what to do. You were right there… but so was he, and…" He slammed the side of his fist into the fencepost. "I'm such an idiot."

"What did Kamoshida do to you?" Ryuji really didn't seem like a bad guy, or even like a 'decent' guy who'd just stand by and smile while awful things were happening. There had to be an explanation.

He looked shocked that I'd asked for a second, before slouching and giving me a wry grin. "Straight to the point, huh?" I nodded.

"He was in charge of the track team for a bit… Almost immediately after he started, stuff about my home life got out. Can't prove it was him, but… who else could it be? Only a teacher would catch onto the kind of stuff that he used."

Ryuji sighed. "Practice was rough, but the kicker… was a little more literal. He basically junked my leg during practice one day." He shook his head, tensing up. "I was on crutches for months, and when I was even able to walk on my own again, there wasn't a team left. They had had to disband because of me."

"Because of Kamoshida, you mean."

He punched his hand. "Right!? He can't keep getting away with this crap!"

Ryuji relaxed, grinning at me. "Let's walk to the station together. I'll fill you in on what I've got on him so far."

By the time we got to the trains, Ryuji had filled me in on his 'Plan to Take Down Kamoshida™ which had basically amounted to following him around and being angry, he had admitted, but now, he wanted to ask around and see how many victims of Kamoshida there were around campus.

"Solidarity in numbers, right? Nobody will believe me by myself, but maybe with you…" I filled him in on my probation situation, almost surprised when his demeanor towards me didn't change at all beyond a "Dude… That sucks."

It did mean he had to change his plan a little though. Even if Ann joined us, three students didn't count for much when two of them were known delinquents. "So maybe if we can get some members of the volleyball team to speak out…"

I nodded. "That… actually might have a chance at working…" And if it didn't, at least there'd be more eyes on him…

"Right!?" He held out a fist, and I couldn't help smiling as I tapped it with my own. "Let's do this!"

The warmth I felt from Ryuji only intensified as time stopped.

_I am thou, thou art I…_   
_Thou hast acquired a new vow._   
_It shall become the wings of rebellion_   
_that breaketh thy chains of captivity._   
_With the birth of the Chariot Persona,_   
_I have obtained the winds of blessing that_   
_shall lead to freedom and new power…_

That voice... was not Irene. I blinked, surprised.

Ryuji rubbed the back of his head. "You know… It'd be weird to just split off now. And we both missed lunch… Why don't we grab a bite somewhere?"

I smirked at him. "Trying to trick me into a date?"

He blanched. "Hell no!" 

I put the back of my hand to my forehead, sighing dramatically. "He attempts to steal my heart... only to break it within the next few seconds..."

Ryuji was scowling when I looked up, but I could feel good humor behind it this time. He was getting used to me. I laughed. 

 

"Alright, for real though. Anything besides curry's good."

 

He pumped his fist into the air. "Alriiight! I know a good place. Just follow me. Besides…" he rolled his shoulder and then ginned back at me, shameless. "I totally gotta hear about your past!"

So I told him. Over beef bowls.

"The hell!? How much shittier can that asshole get!?"

I laughed. "Calm down. He'll get his."

"Seriously? If it was me, I wouldn't calm down until I punched that dick in the face!"

I stuck my tongue out. "Well, yeah. That's why I'm on probation."

He laughed. "That's fair." We finished our bowls in silence. Ryuji stretched out and sighed, "I guess we're pretty alike, huh? Way more than I thought when we met."

I blushed at the reminder. "Really? What'd you do?"

He rubbed his neck. "Agh… Straight to the point again… I mean, I did something stupid at school too, but that's not what I was thinking about." He shrugged. "It's more… the spirit of things, I guess. We both see what's going on, and just… can't let it go, not without a fight."

He looked down, then back at me, smiling. "And it's more than that. Seeing you try, it makes me want to try harder too."

I just stared at him, eyes wide. How did we get from what happened at lunchtime to here? This boy… was very sincere. A beat passed, and I could tell that my silence was discouraging him, so I smiled. "I've got your back."

Ryuji nodded. "And… I'll have yours." He hit the table with a fist. "What happened today isn't going to happen again. We're gonna do something about Kamoshida, I know it."

We exchanged numbers, planning to investigate during the volleyball rally. I'd fill in Ann on it later. She had a friend on the volleyball team, didn't she?

\---

I stayed out late, exploring Yongen and finally doing laundry. I still remembered Kamoshida's offer, after all, and wanted to delay my response as long as possible. I doubted Sojiro would let me do that…

[Ann: We've gotta do something about Kamoshida.

Akira: Way ahead of you.

Akira: There's another student who's gung ho about taking Kamoshida down too.

Akira: We want to ask around- especially the volleyball team- and see how many people would be willing to call Kamoshida out.

Ann: …

Ann: I don't know if that'll work.

Ann: But, good luck.

(Ann is typing)]

The typing icon stayed active for over half an hour, before disappearing without a text. I sighed. Ann and I needed to actually talk to each-other about all of this, and soon.

I slipped into Leblanc after I noticed the lights had been turned off. Sojiro had left the door open. 

Or so I thought. With a click, the lights were on. Sojiro looked disheveled. Considering that it was closer to opening time than closing, it made sense. My heart sank into my stomach. Shit... This  _was_ kind of a dick move, wasn't it?

 

"You know... Avoiding your parole officer is pretty commonly known as 'not good'. So is breaking curfew. Explain yourself. Now."

 

I just looked at him for a second, unsure of what to say. Then I pulled out my phone.

 

\---{4/12}---

Today I...

Embarassed myself on my first day of class.

Got blackmailed by my gym teacher

Tried to blackmail him back. (Failed)

Planned a peaceful protest with my friends.

Had beef bowls with Ryuji.

Stayed out until morning, because I'm kind of an asshole.

Found out that I might just have the best parole officer ever. 

 

(I was so scared Sojiro was going to throw me out after today.

But he didn't.

I don't get it, but I'm grateful.

My 'punishment' for breaking curfew was not being allowed to go out for sports, since 'my probation officer said it would hinder rehabilitation'. Kamoshida's probably going to retaliate, but he only has ammo against my reputation, which... even on the first day is already crap. 

Agh. I got lucky. With Sojiro, with Ryuji, with Ann and Morgana, and even with Kamoshida today. It was only my (second) first day of school, and I fucked up so much. I messed up in school. I messed up in a pretty serious situation, and then I messed up with him- actually breaking the law this time. After he heard the recording, he was just like. "At least you didn't clock him this time."

Sojiro told me to keep my head down, but I'm beginning to think that he understands why I can't do that, or is at least beginning to.)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while. I'm alive. Just super busy.


	7. In which a party is formed

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

 

Oh, fucking- Could I just get some sleep for once? I snapped up out of the bed, approaching the bars to the cell.

 

"I thought about resuming our previous conversation tonight. That is why I have summoned you." I stared blankly at Igor.

 

"What are your thoughts? Are you becoming accustomed to this place?"

 

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "That's some sense of humor you've got there…" This was a prison- something to escape. Getting used to it, or worse, comfortable, would just be stupid. I nodded at Igor. "I'll manage."

 

"I'm glad to hear it." he chuckled. "It seems that you have nerves of steel."

 

He leaned forward, signaling that it was time to get to business. "Your rehabilitation determines if ruin can be stopped. Yet, such a feat cannot be done by you alone."

 

Well… that wasn't good. As if he had heard my thoughts, Igor nodded. "Thus far, you've failed to establish a full partnership with anyone. This must be rectified if you wish for this world to evade ruin."

 

So I was supposed to involve others then… When we had been sucked into Kamoshida's lair, my first priority had been to get Ann out of there.  We had a lot to discuss, but still… after getting stuck in a Kamoshida bdsm nightmare, I wouldn't blame her if she didn't want to go back.

 

Heck, I wasn't sure I wanted to go back. If Ryuji's plan worked tomorrow… the Kamoshida problem would be solved.

 

I looked up at Igor. "I… get that there's no way out for me." Not yet. "That doesn't mean that I should drag others into this." We were nearly killed last time…

 

SLAM. Surprisingly, it wasn't Henry. Robert glared at me with ice in his eyes, a shaking hand on the door. "You'd give in so easily? Or are you truly so foolish as to think you can do this alone?"

 

Igor held up a hand. "Enough." His expression was almost tense, as he and Robert exchanged looks, seeming to have a silent conversation of their own.

 

Robert slumped a little, turning back towards me. He looked like he wanted to say more, but left me with a glare, returning to his position.

 

"Involving yourself with others is an important foundation for your recovery." Though Igor's voice sounded chagrined, he looked more entertained than anything. "In spite of your hesitations, you have, at least, managed to solidify a bond with another."

 

_The Chariot, Ryuji._

 

"In order to evade ruin, you must continue to do so." My eyes sank down, tracing the edges of the blue and golden rug. I genuinely liked Ryuji, feeling a kinship stronger than any of the connections I had formed previously… and after only a few conversations. That didn't mean that I had the right to drag him into the weirdness that was going on.

 

_Consider it beyond your shallow reaction. He is actively looking for trouble, after all…_

 

"I am not advising the formation of superficial relationships. You must not allow the bonds you create to remain frivolous." He waved a hand. "Rather, you must allow them to, by morals or faith, lend you their strength."

 

Read: Igor wanted me to use the people around me. Like tools. The sentiment was chilling.

 

_You shouldn't be so appalled at the implication. It's the basis of all relationships, human or non-human._

 

**So what, I just pick the people who'll give me what I need?**

 

_That's entirely up to us. And them. Don't forget that._

 

It seemed as though all of the resolve in my heart rested in Irene. Even though I could recognize it as mine… To view the world that way, to connect to people just to use them, and to see that they were just using me as well.

 

I looked down, rubbing the ragged fabric of my pants. As much as I hated to acknowledge how (She/I/we) saw the world, that was it. Every relationship revolved around whatever balance of give and take the people involved would accept. And once you were out of things to take, or were too inconvenient for what little you had to offer…

 

Why would I even want to save a world like that?

 

_Still… there is quite a contrast between use and abuse._

 

"It may be that you despise this world. Still… your spirit remains eager to reach out to those who have been robbed of their places to belong." He leaned forward, and I felt a looming presence. "It would be beneficial for you to do so. The expansion of your bonds will, in return, help you mature as well."

 

Robert looked back to me. "Personas are the strength of heart. The stronger the bonds that surround you, the more power your Personas will gain." Personas? As in, plural?

 

"There are countless people in this city who have talents that a weakling like you doesn't." Henry leaned to the side. "Charm them to your side." He looked me over. "…somehow." Rude. "We'll change that into power."

 

Igor seemed pleased at the explanation. "Indeed. You should be prepared to use even myself, or your ambitions will not come to fruition."

 

I tilted my head, studying him for a second, then nodded. "I suppose I will, then."

 

He bowed his head, chuckling. "I believe we have a deal."

 

I still didn't know what he wanted in return. It seemed that the… entity, had high expectations of me.

 

_Thou hast acquired a new vow…_

_With the birth of the Fool Persona,_

_I have obtained the winds of blessing that_

_shall lead to freedom and new power…_

 

It was the same thing that happened with Ryuji. It wasn't warmth that flooded through me this time, probably because this was a relationship of convenience. Instead, I felt an immense confidence form within me. I still didn't know what I was doing or who I could trust, and only God knew what the deal was with Igor, but whatever his intentions… I'd find a way to make them work for me.

 

I sighed. I had just seen the results of Igor's advice, and with a bond formed from suspicion of all things. It'd be dumb to continue arguing… but still.

 

"This… rehabilitation." I looked to Robert, Igor, and Henry in turn. "What is it that you expect in exchange for your help?"

 

"You will understand it all in due time…" I scowled. That wasn't an acceptable answer. "For now, continue devoting yourself to your rehabilitation."

 

Henry turned to me. "We're done here. Get lost, Inmate."

 

\---[4/13]---

 

I stared at the ceiling. Every time I returned from the Velvet Room, it was with a new existential crisis in tow.

 

_Not to mention exhaustion. It's been days since you truly slept._

 

I was definitely feeling the effects of that as well.

 

Sojiro withheld coffee that morning, saying that if I had enough energy to stay out till 2 am., I certainly didn't need the supplement.

 

Without the caffeine that I had been depending on long before getting shipped off to Tokyo, I almost slept past the correct subway stops on the way to school, nodding off immediately when I had the chance to sit down. Class wasn't much better, and I found my eyes closing in homeroom, just to be shaken open by a concerned Ann.

 

She put a hand to my head. "I swear… You look worse every time I see you."

 

I sighed, forced to look up at her. "Yeah… I think it has to do with the" I scanned the room to see if anyone was listening in. "Weird stuff."

 

Ann grumbled at that. "Agh… I want to go back and investigate that other Kamoshida…" I looked up in surprise. She did?

 

"Still… while you're like this…" She sighed, brushing back my bangs with her hand, before clapping both together. "We need to change for the volleyball rally."

 

Ann led the way towards the girls' locker room. As we walked, I explained some of the situation with Ryuji.

 

"Wait. Sakamoto?" Ann looked surprised.

 

"You know each-other?" At that, she looked down, mouth tight.

 

"Yeah. You could say that…" She pursed her lips, thoughful. "He's a friend from middle school."

 

Ann ran a hand through her hair, deep in thought. "This… is surprisingly thoughtful of him. Still…" Her eyes sank down, trailing the floor. "I don't know if you're going to be able to get anyone to help… I doubt you've noticed, but everyone's so…"

 

She let the sentence hang. I shook my head, trying to get hyped up enough to pull this mission off, before pointing at Ann.

 

"Agh… It's still worth a shot. Kamo-Shithead said that you had a friend on the team. Think you can bug her about this?"

 

Ann only looked more frustrated at that. "Shiho… really needs the position that she has right now, so there's not much she can say."

 

"Oh…" There wasn't much more to say. We changed our clothes in silence, and joined the rest of the girls.

 

The exhibition match was…rough to say the least. It was male faculty against the boys'  student volleyball team. Normally, faculty matches were incredibly one-sided. Students who train intensely and daily, against middle-aged adults who work largely sedentary jobs? Not much of a contest.

 

Kamoshida more than made up for the faculties lack of skill though. He would spike, and spike, and spike the ball, hard enough to send students flying back a few feet. The boys, to their credit, kept playing seriously, and, as painful as each impact of ball against body sounded, would put themselves in the line of fire, again and again.

 

Midway through the game, 2-D's class rep took an especially hard blow to the head, falling down backwards to hit it again on the floor. As he was taken to the nurse's office I looked around. In the corner, Ryuji had tensed like a loaded spring, rage apparent. Our eyes met, before I turned to Ann whose expression was tight, hand fisted in a pigtail.

 

"Y'know… Me and Sakamoto-kun will be meeting by the vending machines, if you wanna tag along."

 

Ann nodded, but didn't say anything. I followed her gaze to a small brunette.

 

"Is that your friend?"

 

"Yeah." She looked to me. "Listen… If you could keep Sakamoto-kun from approaching her about this…"

 

I held up a hand. "Got it." I saw where she was coming from. Ryuji, though he seemed good at heart, had shown a notable inability to contain himself. I could easily imagine him exploding on any of the  volleyball players who showed too much hesitation.

 

True to form, the boy ranted for a solid ten minutes when we met up, voice unrestrained and arms waving in the air. Interestingly enough, he seemed to have caught on to exactly how Kamoshida saw the school. I nervously tapped the screen of my phone. The eyecon's application was popping up every time Ryuji said "Kamoshida," "School," and "Castle" within a few seconds of eachother. Pressing 'exit' and 'cancel' seemed to keep it from activating, but this guy could seriously work a metaphor.

 

Still, I'd let him go until he cooled down. "And how he acted like he was worried about Mishima? What an abusive d-bag!" So class rep's name was Mishima… I'd probably forget, but at least I could remind myself to remember. The thought of the injured student seemed to remind Ryuji of what needed to be done, as he finally slouched down, anger spent. This boy was in sore need of an outlet.

 

He sighed, "Anyways… we've got the rest of the exhibition to talk to the volleyball players." He made a face. "I forgot for a second… You're new here. You sure you know who they are?"

 

I shrugged. Even though I had seen them all together a few minutes ago, with the exception of my class rep, their faces had long since left my mind. "I was just gonna talk to the people who looked like they had been thrown in front of a truck. Noticeable bruises, bandages, that sort of thing."

 

Ryuji snorted. "Yeah, basically." He clenched a fist. "I'll be sure to find someone to spill about Kamoshida. Just you wait, asshole."

 

I nodded. His enthusiasm was contagious. "You go ahead and talk to the guys, I'll ask the girls. They'll probably be more likely to open up to me." I put a hand to my chin, thinking. "…if you wanna save time, try talking to the guy who got hit first, if he hasn't already gone home." It was pretty likely that the guy had a concussion, which, thanks to national policy, would be keeping him off of the court and out of practices for the foreseeable future.

 

Ryuji slumped forward. "Yeah… If the nurse'll let me in. That's not very likely, y'know?"

 

\---

 

After approaching, and getting blown off by, several girls, I began to get suspicious. It was the same kind of thing every time.  I couldn't even make eye contact with them. As soon as they noticed me, they'd retreat. I'd greet them, not even beginning to mention Kamoshida, and they'd blanch, stutter something, and run away.

 

[Ryuji: I'm getting nothing here.

 

Ryuji: Half of one guy's bodymass was bandages, and what does he say?

 

Ryuji: "I'm clumsy."

 

Ryuji: AAAAAAWTF!!!!!

 

Ryuji: What about you?

 

Akira: Saaame.

 

Akira: I can't even start a conversation with these girls.

 

Akira: Let's keep at it though. We've still got some time left.]

 

Eventually, I passed by Ann and her friend. Right… Ann had said to leave her friend alone about this. I continued on as if I hadn't seen them.

 

"Kurusu!" Or not. Ann was waving me over. She looked pissed.

 

"What's up?"

 

She showed me her phone, which was opened to a forum app.

 

**[Anon: So that new girl in class 2-D? Watch out. She's got a criminal record. Came to Tokyo for parole.**

 

**Rstar: A criminal!?!? T.T**

 

**RedSux: id still hit it**

 

**kendo37: called it! girl's a total psycho!!! that blank look in her eyes. *shudders***

 

**TmegaG: @RedSux Careful what you stick it in, dude…**

 

**Buzz_lityear: Saw her with Sakamoto yesterday. Figures.**

 

**Datboi07: ISTG. Shujjin really does just let anyone in… ]**

 

The formatting was simplistic, but it seemed that a lot of students used the site. Ann was scowling, but it was her friend who spoke up. "People are saying a lot of bad stuff about you…"

 

I smiled at them, feeling a little shaky. "Well, that explains a lot. Ha…" I looked away. "I had no idea."

 

_You weren't going accept his deal, after all…_

 

**Still. That was fast**. I wouldn't have had the chance to accept in the first place…

 

I had other problems to focus on though.

 

There were students that I had a reason to notice, like Ann or Ryuji or… the class rep whose name I forgot again, shit.

 

Then there were the rest, who were only a blurry presence in my attention. An indistinct, faceless mob, who had suddenly decided I was some stereotypical criminal…

 

Déjà freaking vu.

 

My phone beeped. Happy for an excuse not to meet the brunette's concerned gaze, I pulled it out.

 

**[Ryuji: Got a lead!**

 

**Ryuji: Was talking to a first-year, and he let something slip about Mishima getting 'special coaching.']**

 

The bell rang.

 

"Akira…" Ann started. "Why don't you tell Shiho about what you and Sakamoto are up to?"

 

I started, looking up at the blonde in surprise. She was carefully looking away from both of us.

 

I sighed, turning to Shiho. It was a start. "I don't think I've caught your name yet. I'm Akira Kurusu. I'm in Ann's class."

 

Shiho smiled. "Shiho Suzui. It's nice to meet you, although…" she rubbed her elbow "I guess circumstances could be better."

 

"You said it." Now where would I start? "Me and Sakamoto both have had some pretty bad encounters with Kamoshida." At that, Shiho went stiff, eyes wide. I'd have to be careful not to scare her away… "I was able to get a phone recording of him…behaving questionably towards me" At that, Ann looked surprised. That's right… I hadn't told her yet.

 

"Still, with my record, even proof isn't worth much. Since it's only me and Sakamoto who are willing to speak out against him right now, there's not much we can do. But we don't think that we're the only ones who Kamoshida has been mistreating."

 

Shiho had her hands over her mouth. "Oh…"

 

"That's why Sakamoto and I have been approaching volleyball players. Everyone thinks I'm trash, so my word is pretty worthless, even with proof. Same with Sakamoto. But you guys?" I winked at her, trying to lighten the mood. "You guys are model citizens! People might take you seriously if you spoke up."

 

"…" Shiho's hands clenched the fabric of her skirt. "I-I can't help you…" Her face said otherwise as she bent into a stiff bow. "I'm sorry."

 

Ann moved towards her. "Shiho…"

 

She turned and ran, passing Ryuji as he made his way towards us.

 

"Shiho!" Ann ran off after her.

 

Ryuji jerked a thumb. "What's that about?"

 

I sighed. This was going to be harder than we had initially thought.

 

\---

 

Sakamoto and I ended up waiting at the front gates to see if we could catch Mishima. The rest of the day had been a bust, but we hadn't exhausted all of our options yet.

 

_And if Mishima refuses?_

 

**I'll make up a Plan C.** Plan A had been the recording. B was Ryuji's. It was likely that C would involve the other world, so I'd need to begin preparations. 

 

_You should bring the Chariot with you if you go. His fighting spirit has been rekindled immensely by our presence._

 

**_…_ ** **Yeah. Let's bring the nice boy to the place where even fucking pumpkins have the power to kill us. He'll appreciate that.**

 

_If you're worried about the Pyro Jacks, just shoot them. It's not hard._

 

**You know what I mean.**

 

_I argue because you don't mean it. Kamoshida, evil though he may be, is both weak willed and weak minded. This weakens the shadows that roam his psyche and makes for an excellent opportunity to introduce others to the cognitive world with minimal risk._

 

…she was right. Morgana had had things pretty well handled by himself. Throwing myself and my guns into the mix would only serve to make things safer… I'd have to think about it.

 

Ryuji sprung off the wall, approaching the class rep, who had even more bruising than usual. "Hey! Got a sec?"

 

At this, I saw fear flash across Mishima's face, so followed and leaned into the conversation, hands behind my back. I wasn't nearly as imposing as Ryuji could be.

 

"We just wanna talk to you for a bit." Mishima's expression grew even more fearful as I joined in. Oh right… the rumors. I'd have to approach this gently. "I saw that spike earlier… Are you okay? It looked like you had a concussion for a second…"

 

The skinny boy relaxed a little, but he still wouldn't meet my eyes. "Well… the nurse cleared me for practice..." His expression seemed oddly blank…

 

I snapped my fingers, before getting up in his face, holding a thumb in front of his eyes. "Lemme check for sure. Can you follow the movement of my hand?"

 

"Um…I guess…" His eyes _did_ follow my thumb around, somewhat. But that look in his eyes, how slow he was talking.

 

"You really do look like you have a concussion you know… I don't think you should even be moving around, much less practicing. What time is it?"

 

"I'm fine. And it's…" He trailed off, before slowly shaking his head. "I'm fine."

 

Ryuji stepped in. "Hey, injuries are serious business." He pointed to his knee. "I would know."

 

I clasped my hands together, leaning forward. "It's just… This, and the 'special coaching' another student was talking about… Is Kamoshida physically abusing you?"

 

He recoiled. "C-certainly not!"

 

Ryuji crossed his arms. "What're you talkin' all polite for? Anyways… He spiked you. Right in the face."

 

"An Olympic level athlete _should_ have good control over the ball." I chimed in.

 

"I'm just… not good at the sport."

 

"…Still." Ryuji put his hands in his pockets, looking concerned. "That doesn't explain all of the other bruises you've got."

 

"They're from practice!" he snapped.

 

"Listen." I cut them off. "He's hurt a lot of people. It's practically an open secret. If we upset the status quo enough by actually talking about it… We think he could be brought to justice. But we need to find people who are willing to say that he's hurt them."

 

Ryuji grinned and jerked a thumb towards me. "Um… yeah! What she said."

 

Mishima stood back, eyes wide. "That's…" I think we had him…

 

"What's going on here?" Shit. Kamoshida walked over, interested in the conversation. How much had he heard…? He nodded to the boy. "Mishima, isn't it time for practice?"

 

"I-I'm really not feeling well today, sir…"

 

I held up a hand. "Sir. He definitely has a concussion." I could hear the irritation slide into my voice. My mask was slipping… "You _have_ to know how strictly every coach is supposed to manage head injuries."

 

"Stop acting like a nurse. The _real_ nurse cleared him, after all…" He turned to Mishima. "If he can't handle a little hit from a volleyball, he probably should just quit the team."

 

He smiled. "Of course, your form's so bad… I'd be forced to kick you off anyways if you weren't putting in the proper effort."

 

Ryuji stepped forward. "Did you hear what she said? Concussion. Even I know what that means."

 

Kamoshida ignored him. "Mishima. Are you coming to practice or not?"

 

"…I'll go." No…

 

Kamoshida came closer, standing over Ryuji. "As for you…keep at it, and you'll be gone from this school for sure." Ryuji flinched, looking away.

 

He looked to me. "My offer still stands…"

 

I smiled at him. "With all due respect. Not a chance." The man had already played most of his aces. The school knew my situation now, and Sojiro had taken my side after hearing the recording. He could probably still get me and Ryuji expelled, but unless things were even more fucked up than I had anticipated, we'd need to give him a good excuse to first…

 

"Hmph. Just don't get in the way of my practice. These rumors are making the students anxious, after all." If it weren't for the way that Ryuji was shaking, eyes to the ground. The way that Kamoshida was staring at and talking to me over his head would have been funny.

 

I held his gaze. "They should."

 

He scoffed. "This won't get us anywhere. Let's go, Mishima."

 

Kamoshida turned his back to us. "Shujin Academy is a place where those with aspirations come to learn. Unworthy students like yourselves don't have any right to be here. Get with the program!"

 

With that, the man stalked down the hall. I sighed, making a show of looking relaxed. "So say-eth the middle aged asshole who assaults kids." He was a threat, sure. But it seemed that both Mishima and Ryuji had been taking at least part of what he was saying to heart.

 

Ryuji scowled. "He's gonna pay for this."

 

"…There's no point" Mishima shook his head. "Proving that he's physically abusing us is meaningless."

 

"What…?"

 

Mishima hunched over more, holding his bandaged arm to his chest. "Everybody knows already. The principal, our parents… They all know, and they all keep quiet about it."

 

Ryuji recoiled. "No way… This has gotta be a joke!"

 

"…Don't be a pain. You don't understand what I'm going through." Mishima looked away. "Shouldn't you of all people know that nothing's going to help?"

 

Ouch. With that, Mishima trudged off. Ryuji and I looked at eachother. Stressed, and feeling more than a little exhausted,  I brushed my hair out of my face. "I think we should call it quits for today. Kamoshida's onto us, and this approach isn't working."

 

Ryuji punched the air. "This is so effed up!"

 

_He's found resolve. Are you going to make him give it up?_

 

I hesitated, looking up at him. "Ryuji…"

 

I shook my head. If I was going to do this, I needed to at least _act_ like I was sure about it. "Ann and I found something of Kamoshida's earlier… We were planning to go and check it out again." If she didn't kill me first.

 

We hadn't agreed to keep the other world a secret, or even really talked about it, but the sentiment reasonably went unsaid.

 

Ryuji looked surprised. "Takamaki?" I nodded.

 

"Yeah. We both kind of got dragged into it." I made a face. "It's really dangerous, though."

 

"So when you disappeared that day… And when Takamaki dragged you in to the nurse…"

 

"That was why. Yeah." I grabbed at my collar. "Last time was nuts, and we got chased around and almost got killed." I met his eyes. As disjointed as my explanation was, I hoped he would at least understand the danger involved.

 

The way the Velvet staff were talking about that world… I was sure something useful would pop up there.

 

He put his hands in his pockets, sighing. "Akira, I don't get what you're saying. Talk to me straight. You seem to have a plan. What's this gonna involve?"

 

"A lot of running. Probably some serious fighting too." I caught his gaze. "And I mean _serious,_ so I'd stick to running and being extra sneaky _._ We almost got killed last time."

 

"Damn… What exactly did you find?"

 

This was it…

 

"Ryuji…" I pulled out my phone, tapping the Eyecon. "Tell me exactly how Kamoshida sees this school."

 

\---

 

[ _Akira started a group._

 

_Akira named the group "Castle Crushers."_

 

Akira: Ann, Ryuji knows about the castle.

 

Akira: He's coming with us next time.

 

Ann: What?

 

Akira: I took him to the castle.

 

Akira: Just outside though.

 

Akira: plzdontkillme

 

Ann: …

 

Ann: No promises.

 

Ann: Seriously. Should we even be involving more people in this?

 

Ann: You and Morgana are the only ones who can fight those things, after all…

 

Akira: Yup.

 

Akira: A long nosed giant in my dreams told me so. ;P

 

Ryuji: WTH? And who's Morgana?

 

Ann: …

 

Akira: A cat that's not a cat.

 

Akira: @Ann I've already told him how dangerous it was.

 

Ryuji: It's seriously freaky. But if it helps us stop Kamoshida, I'm in!

 

Akira: See?

 

Ann: Kurusu. Don't just decide this kind of stuff on your own.

 

Ann: Sakamoto, there are monsters in there that will try to KILL you.

 

Ann: If you get hurt, it'll be because you were stupid enough to come.

 

Ann: And because Kurusu was stupid enough to invite you.

 

Akira: He's looking for trouble too. We just happened to find it first.

 

Akira: Ann, he wants to take down Kamoshida, just like us.

 

Akira: Maybe more.

 

Ann: Still.

 

Ann: I don't want to be surprised like this again… You could have chosen worse, at least.

 

Ann: Anyways. Since we've got three people, we're voting on these kinds of decisions from here on out.

 

Ann: If we're gonna drag somebody into this mess, we need a unanimous agreement. Got it?

 

_Akira liked Ann's post._

 

_Ryuji liked Ann's post._

 

Akira: That's probably for the best.]

 

I really was too impulsive for my own good. And now it wasn't just my own good that I needed to look out for.

 

[Ryuji: I knew ya loved me, Takamaki!

 

Ann: Shut up!

 

Ryuji: So when are we going to go check it out?

 

Ann: I want to wait until Akira stops looking like a twitchy zombie. I told you to go see a doctor…

 

Akira: With what time?

 

Akira: And anyways, that's racist. Zombies are people too.

 

Akira: I may actually be a twitchy zombie.

 

Akira: I don't want brains though. Just caffeine.

 

Ann: @Ryuji See? She's so tired, she doesn't seem to know what she's saying most of the time.

 

Ann: @Ryuji She's constantly nodding off in class too.

 

Ryuji: @Ann We're on the same train rn. I see what you mean.]

 

I pulled a face at Ryuji, who was standing over me, holding the rail. He just raised an eyebrow in return.

 

It turned out that Ryuji lived right on the outskirts of Shibuya. Even though he only had to take one train home, it was one that I took as well. We had both snagged seats at first, but he had given his up upon seeing an older woman nearby.

 

[Akira: I'm fiiiiine.

 

Akira: We really should check the castle out asap, though.

 

Akira: Could I convince you guys to follow me in tomorrow?

 

Ann: -_- Convince me with good health.

 

Ann: You're the only one who can really fight in there. And even that's a hard pass.]

 

I flinched. That was right. Me and Morgana had both stuck to a 'knock-em-down' and escape strategy for the most part… And now, we didn't even know if Morgana would be around the next time we went in…

 

[Ann: It's just hard trusting you to have our backs when you look like you're about to keel over most of the time.]

 

With that, I yawned so hard that my eyes began to water. I pulled my glasses loose to rub my sleeve under them, willing my eyes to stop leaking. I felt a hand rest on top of my head.

 

Startled out of my angst, I looked up to see Ryuji looking down at me, a strange look on his face. We stared at each other in uncomfortable silence.

 

It took a few seconds for him to realize what he was doing. He flushed, pulling his hand back to grab the pole, before squatting down to my level, determined

 

"She's right. You really should take better care of yourself."

 

"I know." I snapped.

 

Well, _that_ came out a little colder than I intended. I closed my eyes and shook my head a little, trying to make my expression gentler. "I'm trying. I'll try harder… It's just been a weird few weeks."

 

He frowned, considering. "So it's you, me, and Takamaki, huh?" His voice sounded distant. "It sounds like we're a team now."

 

I smiled a little, feeling warm, in spite of myself. In spite of the danger, it was nice to be connected to people again. Even though those connections would be severed or turned against me in the future… they felt nice right now.

 

"I guess we are."

 

\---[4/13]---

 

Today I…

 

Saw my class rep get a concussion.

 

Bugged the entire volleyball team.

 

Became the talk of the school. ;P

 

Found out that my new friends are Childhood Friends™

(I don't ship it… T.T)

 

And now I'm gonna get like…12 hours of sleep hehehe… The sun hasn't even set yet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	8. In which we gear up

\---[4/14]---

 

I was snapped out of the daze of my new schooltime routine by the sound of an ungodly squeaky voice.

 

“Did’ya see Kamoshida-sensei play yesterday? So awesome!”

 

I kept my eyes on the ground, listening to the girls ahead of me. Ugh, First-years… Why was it that girls around my age would _try_ to make their voices sound like they were toddlers. It wasn’t cute. Anyways, regular fangirls and boys were bad enough, but I could only imagine what it would take to make a Kamoshida™ fangirl. Ex-Olympic or not, he was still our creepy gym teacher.

 

“I’m gonna ask for his autograph after school!”

 

Her friend slowed down, frowning. “That’s… probably not the best idea. Have you heard about the noises around the PE faculty office?”

 

That… sounded ominous. I walked a little faster, trying to stay where I could hear them while remaining unnoticed.

 

The girl shuddered. “People say that you can hear weird sounds like screaming even though nobody’s there…”

 

The fangirl scoffed. “Rumors. I’ll bet there are other girls trying to scare away the competition.” I stopped, unwittingly making a sound somewhere between laughter and gagging while the girls moved on.

 

**Do you think…?**

 

_However we interpret it, there is something awful going on there._

 

I nodded, feeling my mouth set in a determined line.

 

\---

 

Come lunchtime, I was searching the sea of heads for my blondes. We needed to discuss our next move, and I needed to convince Ann that I was good to go.

 

**I really should just go alone. At least that way, I wouldn’t have to worry about defending them...**

 

In response, Irene flashed me mental pictures of the shadows that Morgana and I had escaped.

 

 _Kamoshida knows, on some level, that we are a threat to his palace. You can run, but unless we encounter shadows with weaknesses to my Curses and your guns, we will_ _require_ _backup._

 

**And if they’re dead weight? We spent a lot of time trying to rescue Ann. Who’s to say it won’t happen again?**

 

_Igor, for one. Besides… humans with the spiritual energy required to even perceive the distorted realms should have more than enough potential to… violently interact with them. We’ve… sparked something in their spirits. They will prove useful soon enough._

 

Finally spotting the pale blonde of Ann’s hair, I headed her way. She was with Shizui-san, who seemed to have collected more bruises. There was a particularly nasty one over her forehead that mirrored where Mishima was hit yesterday... I felt something hot settle in my gut.

 

We had to stop Kamoshida. Yesterday.

 

Naturally, there seemed to be something heavy hanging over the table.

 

I stored my anger somewhere safe, and faked a relaxed smile, plopping my tray of curry down next to Shizui’s. She looked up at me before cringing away as she recognized me.

 

Oh yeah… I had really freaked her out yesterday. In hindsight, running up and asking strangers to testify against their abusers probably wasn't the best way to make friends…

 

Along with being in pretty serious trouble, Shizui was Ann’s friend, so ignoring her wasn't an option. Besides, knowing that someone as straightforward as Ann liked her just made me want to get to know her more.

 

_Kamoshida has probably been thinking along the same lines._

 

Making a face, I whined. “I swear… The one day I decide to buy a school lunch and it’s curry.” I waved at the brick-flavored sludge in front of us. “Curry for breakfast, Curry for dinner…” Dramatically, I looked up, putting my hand over my forehead and sending a plea to the gods of the ceiling tiles. “Even at school, now! Is no meal sacred?”

 

I looked over to Ann and Shiho. I had tried to crack the ice, but they just looked confused.

 

_[Charm=1 Offensive]_

 

Still, it seemed that the mood had lightened a little. Shizui looked so sick… Gods… But she at least managed to look interested.

 

And a little grossed out. “Curry… for breakfast?”

 

And...there went the ice. Shiho slowly relaxed as I smiled and launched into a description of my arrangement with Sojiro and the restaurant that he owned. Ann looked shocked. “You’re living in the attic of a restaurant? Why not with Sakura-san?”

 

I pointed to myself. “Criminal record.” And for an assault case, too. “You really can’t blame him. Besides, the attic’s really cool.” After being boxed into the tiny room used for solitary for what must have been hundreds of hours, I appreciated the attic’s unusual set-up, big windows, and wide space. Part of me wondered if Sojiro had thought of that when he put me there.

 

Ann frowned. “Still…”

 

I raised up a finger. “It sounds bad, but it's really not.” I grinned. “Even the curry’s a plus.” Well… I glanced at my lunch tray and made a face. “His curry, at least.”

 

I decided to approach the topic sideways. Since Suzui was here, I couldn't ask directly. “So… Y’all have any plans for after school?” I asked, not meeting either of their eyes.

 

Suzui bristled at the question. “I’ve got volleyball practice after school every day until the season’s over.”

 

I let my eyes roam her body at that, cataloging her injuries and raising an eyebrow. “I’ll never understand ball sports.” I said, keeping my voice light. “That much pain without enough gain to make it worthwhile?” I caught her eyes. “I just don't think it's worth it.”

 

“You're right.” Suzui’s face went blank. “You wouldn't understand.” She picked up her tray, and nodded at Ann. “I’ll see you later, Ann.” She didn’t seem angry, at least. Those were just the facts to her. I got the impression that she was a pretty strong, or at least mostly rational, person.

 

A silent conversation seemed to take place between them. Ann shot her a nervous smile and waved. “Um...yeah. Later!”

 

Ann groaned, resting her forehead in her hands. “Kurusu… Do you think you can manage _not_ making my best friend hate you?”

 

_[Charm= 1 Offensive]_

 

“Honestly…” I started to answer, but Ann held up a hand to cut me off.

 

“Rhetorical question.” She looked over to where Shizui was waiting in line to dispose of her lunch tray. “You saw her, right?” I nodded. Ann looked close to tears. “We don't even know if going to the other world will even help at this point, but I don't know what else to do… She won't talk about it, and she won't listen to any suggestion that involves leaving the team…”

 

I nodded. “Let's go after school then.”

 

Ann gave me a cross look. “Uh-huh. You're still not looking so hot.”

 

“Suzui looks worse.” I stifled a yawn, and stretched out, before pointing to myself. “I’m always sleepy. It’s just a thing. I’ll see a doctor about what happened Monday when I can, but I’m not about to relax while that abusive asshat with a thing for underaged girls is still ali-” I tripped over my words. “around.”

 

“Hey!” Ryuji bounded over to us, a baseball bag strapped to his side. He seemed pleased with himself. Dropping down next to Ann, he leaned over the table. “So…” he whispered loudly. How the hell was he whispering loudly? “Have y’all decided when we’re doing the thing?”

 

I looked to Ann. “Have we?”

 

She twisted her mouth, looking down. I was beginning to suspect that her hesitation towards going to the Castle had less to do with me and more to do with how traumatic our first visit was for her. She seemed to genuinely care, but my apparent ‘sickness’ could be both a genuine concern for her and a great excuse.

 

“Yeah.” She said, finally. “We’re going as soon as school lets out.”

 

Ryuji whooped. “Alright! I’ve got our supplies stacked and ready to go!”

 

I tilted my head. “Supplies?”

 

He caught my eyes and smirked. Unexpectedly, my stomach flipped. Cocky was a good look on him.  Somewhere in the back of my mind, I began hoping that I would be seeing that expression often in the future.

 

Ann frowned at him, “What kind of supplies?”

 

He patted the ball bag. “Weapons, first-aid kit, nasty-ass health drinks...The works.” He nodded at me. “Akira said that things in that world were augmented by how people in general saw them. Like… your bobby pins worked as lockpicks.” Ryuji shrugged. “I figured that toys that _looked_ like they could pack a punch, and sugar loaded crap that’s _advertised_ to make you healthier…” he trailed off. “They might actually be helpful as long as we’re working off of assumptions.”

 

“That’s fantastic!” I gushed. I had been so worried that they would be defenseless, that I didn’t take the time to even think of the preparations that we could make.

 

_It’s not ‘Persona’ or nothing. I assure you. As long as a shadow reveals its true form, you can destroy it by any means._

 

Ann seemed impressed as well. “Way to go, Sakamoto!” She winked at me  “Maybe Kurusu-chan had the right idea in bringing you along.”

 

I leaned over towards the bag, hands curling. “Can I take a peek?”

 

Ryuji looked around and made a face. “Not here. I’m going to store them on the roof for now. Hardly anybody goes up there.”

 

Ann poked me in the head. “C’mon Kurusu. What kind of idiot’s going to pull out weapons in a crowded cafeteria?”

 

(Somewhere else in Tokyo, a college student sneezes, before adjusting his headphones and continuing to go about his business.)

 

\---After School---

 

We meet up on the roof and rifle through Ryuji’s bag.

 

“Actually, I got the bag from Athletic Supplies.” Part of Ryuji’s mouth curled up. “They never got around to making me give the keys I had as team captain back.” He shrugged. “Since the track team disbanded, there was never another captain for me to give ‘em to, anyways.”

 

As I see what’s in the bag, I cackle and rub my hands together, like a cheesy supervillain. “Excellent!”

 

In the bag are two baseball bats, a large and rusty golf-club, some canned smoothies, bandages, Ibuprofen, and protein bars. I pull the objects out to reveal a covered machete, civilian tasers, a can of pepper spray,  and three large pocket knives. And a gun.

 

“Ryuji!” Ann jumped back and slapped him on the shoulder.

 

“Ah… yeah. Most of that stuff’s my mom’s. The gun looks real, but it just shoots caps...” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Try not to lose or break any of that. She doesn’t know that it’s gone.”

 

I file that information away for later. “Ryuji,” I said, considering. “You said that you have keys to the Athletic’s building?”

 

“Yeah. Just to the building and the rooms that the track team needed access to, like closets and locker rooms, though.”

 

I pause, for a second, thinking. This could work out to our advantage. “Do you think we could just take what wouldn’t be suspicious, or what we could hide under our clothes, and enter the castle from outside the faculty office then?” Judging by how Ann and I fell into Kamoshida’s main hall, and by how the safe rooms resembled the school’s club rooms and closets, location seemed to play a role in Metaverse navigation.

 

Ann put a finger to her chin. “Yeah… I’ve heard that rumour about the screaming coming from there.” She looked down, clearly upset. “There’s no way that that’s a good thing.”

 

Me and Ann lock eyes, clearly suspecting the worst.

 

It takes a few seconds for Ryuji to catch on, but eventually, he growls clenching his teeth and a fist. “Fucking bastard.”

 

“Not if we have anything to say about it.” I wave a hand to the stairwell. 

 

If that was happening, and it was Kamoshida's doing... Going directly into Kamoshida's cognition was at least a step closer to solving the problem, however muddled that path was.

 

“Let’s roll.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me a while. Doing anything 'fun' as a first-year teacher is pretty hard to pull off, but I'm not dead and neither is this fic.


	9. In Which My Cat Self-Identifies As a Thief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. I feel like this chapter might actually warrant one:
> 
> Trigger Warning: (If Kamoshida isn't warning enough.)

**[4/14] Kamoshida’s Palace.**

 

It turned out that dropping in straight from outside of the faculty office wasn't the greatest idea. As soon as we dropped into the other world, we found ourselves surrounded by lower ranked guards of all kinds.

 

_ Now that I think about it, it does make sense that the areas he considers ‘private’ in the real world would mirror that sense of safety in the cognitive, whether by traps or by heightened security. _

 

I grit my teeth, slamming my pistol into a smaller demon’s side.  **Well, (** _ I,  _ **you,** we)  **should have fucking thought about that sooner!**

 

_ Hmph.  _ She sniffs, blasting one of the captains back with a well-placed Eiga. _ So we should have. _

 

Apparently, being mad at yourself is a lot more awkward with a Persona.

 

While we try to fight through the hoard, they summon a large demon-knight. Apparently he's a captain of theirs. 

 

“Intruders! Submit to capture, or face execution!” The shadow yells, lobbing a blast of fire our way. We scatter.

 

I jump to the side and unload my gun into him… He doesn’t even flinch. 

 

“Ryuji!” I call out, motioning towards the metal-covered captain. “How much voltage does that taser have?”

 

“Dunno.” He says, reaching into his school bag, where we hid the most suspicious of our tools. “I’m all for findin’ out though!” 

 

He sprints towards the captain and slides, jabbing the taser up as he passes under the captain’s horse. With a screech, the horse topples over.

 

**Well, I was thinking ‘metal-conducts-electricity,’ but freaking out the steed works too.**

 

Ryuji backs away from the monster and grins at me, before a blow from another shadow sends him rolling to the ground. 

 

“Shit!” Even if we can keep the captain knocked down, we’re still surrounded. A partner of the shadow’s, some sort of plant, slide-walks over to him, winding its vines over Ryuji’s throat, before Ann dismembers it with the machete. 

 

“There’s too many of ‘em!” Ryuji shouts to us.

 

I nod. “Let’s cut and run then.”

 

With that, Ryuji grabs my hand and shoots off, pulling me along until I catch my wits enough to keep up. Ann pulls the machete out of the pumpkin demon she had been carving, kicks it away, and sprints after us, pumpkin close behind and charging a spell.

 

“Ann!” Ryuji lets go of my hand and turns around, running between one of the pumpkin’s attacks and Ann. Using the baseball bat, he somehow deflects the fireball… like a baseball. Afterwards, he grins viciously and twirls the bat, checking its integrity. No damage.

 

Oh… that’s fantastic. 

 

**Talk about ‘battle intuition!’**

 

_ It is as he suspected earlier; Physical laws are of much less consequence here than mental.  _

**So we’re literally fighting with the ‘Rule of Cool?’**

 

_ …It is as you say. Still... I believe your Chariot would be the only one reckless enough to test a theory like this with lives on the line. _

 

**It’s only a theory until it works!** I smirk, eyes flashing red.  **Let’s see how far we can take it.**

 

I keep my eyes on the others, offering ranged support in the form of bullets and Eiga blasts. I had been worried about running out of ammunition at first, but it seemed that my larger gun wasn’t even capable of firing true bullets, only blasts made of energy from Irene and myself. Failing that (and flying in the face of everything I had never heard about gun safety) it was the perfect size and shape for use as a close range weapon.

 

“Akira!” on the other side of a group of fire-pumpkins, Ryuji was waving to me.

 

Sliding under a fireball, I pull out my smaller gun and shoot bullets, somehow knocking each of the shadows down, before running closer. Each of their inner fires sputter, and they fall to the ground, bouncing slightly.

 

Ryuji grins, gripping his baseball bat and running towards the pumpkin. “Let’s go!”

 

In spite of the situation, a calm comes over us, and like some sort of supernatural muscle memory, we know exactly what to do. I ready my long-gun as Ryuji twists his body, preparing a swing.

 

“ Grand Slam!” We shout in sync, before whacking the closest monster with our respective weapons. Our blow somehow sets it on fire, and it flies away from us, exploding as it lands within a larger hoard of shadows. 

 

In spite of the situation, we stand stunned for a few seconds before Ann whoops, raising a hand into the air. I promptly high-five her as we turn and run out of the room.

 

We manage to escape from the mob, but still face smaller groups of shadows as we run around the shadow-school in search of a safe room. By the time that we find one, we’re all bruised, somewhat bloody, and completely worn out.

 

I collapse onto the floor, sprawling out. “Oww…”

 

Ryuji leans onto a table, pulling out the first-aid kit. “Yeah. You can say that again.”

 

Though my face is in my arms, I turn my head enough that they can spot me grinning through my elbow. “Oww...”

 

“Akira.” Ann cuts me off frowning. “There’s no way we’re getting to the faculty office with a guard like that. What’s the plan?”

 

I sit up, leaning back onto my hands. “Well… The original plan’s a bust... I figured if we dropped in on whatever Kamoshida sees the faculty office as, we would see a creeptastic version of whatever’s been going on in there.” I start rubbing the back of my neck. “Unfortunately, security was high by default there, and us dropping in only raised it higher.”

 

Pulling out my phone, I open the map, turning it so that Ann can see the Alert gauge.

 

_ Kamoshida’s Castle: 70% _

 

“That much already.” Ann’s hands twist into fists. “Damn it...” She curses, barely a whisper.

 

Ryuji echoes her, slamming his hands into the table. “Damn it!” As pumped as we had been (and fighting supernatural battles could make a group of high-schoolers pretty excited), we had come here with our classmates in mind. Fighting small-fry demons wasn’t going to save Suzui or our class rep.

 

**Darn it… I forgot his name again...**

 

Ryuji jumps up and points at me. “So, what’s up with the superpowers?” His eyes go up and down, scanning my strange clothing. “And the costume?” He jabs a hand in my direction. “You just show up here, and suddenly you're in some kind of lethal cosplay, giving orders to a giant demon lady in chains!”

 

I couldn't keep from smirking. “Jealous?”

 

He sputters for a second, blushing, before sighing and running a hand through his hair. “I’m just saying, fighting the things that pop up here looks a lot easier for you. How do you do that?” His expression sobers as he meets my eyes. “If me an’ Ann can figure that magic stuff out… I doubt there’ll be anywhere in here that we can’t fight our way into.”

 

_ You start by growing a spine. _

 

I neglect to convey Irene’s words. Ryuji’s Kamoshida-induced panic attacks were definitely a sore point for the guy. She was right though… Giving Ryuji the chance to face down Kamoshida himself would probably be a good way to wake up his Persona, if he had one.

 

I tug at my gloves, trying to find the right words. “It’s… hard to explain. And I’d bet that it would be different for you than it was for me.” I wave my hands around in front of my chest for a bit, as if I can pull what I need to say out of the air.

 

“There was something…” I trail off, stopping to gather my thoughts, before taking a breath and trying again. “I had let this… I guess it was doubt, but it was kind of fear too, you know?” I shake my head. “Anyways, it sunk into everything. Suddenly, all I could do was hold back and second-guess myself. All I could think about was how  _ I  _ messed up, saving that woman who just turned around and…” I cut myself off. That wasn’t important now. “No matter what I was doing, I was beating myself up for what happened when I did what was right, and wondering if I’d keep messing up. Until Kamoshida.”

 

I look at Ann. She’s studying the ground with hard eyes, but after a few seconds, she meets mine. I nod at her. “Seeing a creep like that abuse kids, and creep on underage girls, and just letting him be? No way.” I scowl. “Whatever the consequences, I can’t do it, and I don’t think that you can either. Jumping in the car that day... it was like a reflex. And I kept using it until we ended up here.” I snort. “Hell, I’m still using it now. Maybe  _ that’s  _ where Irene’s coming from.”

 

“Well said, Lady Akira!” From a tile in the ceiling, Morgana drops down.

 

Ryuji jumps back, cringing. “The hell are you!?”

 

Morgana ignores him, and turns to me and Ann. “I finally found you two!” He grins, pointing a paw at us. “I knew you wouldn’t leave me to fight alone!”

 

Gently, I fist-tap him. Ann softens, crossing her arms over her chest. “Like we could stay away with this one on the loose.” She says, winking at me. “Every day so far, this one’s been all, ‘Can we go back, Ann?’ ‘The only way to stop Kamoshida is through magical-cognitive bullshit, Ann.’ ‘I can't stay awake for more than an hour at a time, but let's go fight monsters, Ann!’ She snorts. “Of course, the minute we actually come back, we drop straight into the entire castle guard.”

 

Ryuji turns and whispers at us. “Guys, that cat’s talking. Why is that cat talking?”

 

“I’m not a cat!” Morgana snaps at him, before turning weary eyes at me, as if to ask ‘Why did you bring this guy?’

 

I wave a hand between them. “Ryuji, this is Morgana. He’s a friend Ann and I made when we first came here.” I wink in Morgana’s direction. “He’s also a legit Metaverse expert.”

 

Facing Morgana, I jerked a thumb back at the blonde. “Morgana, this is Ryuji. He’s been extremely helpful in trying to take down the Kamoshida in our world.”

 

“Okay…” Ryuji starts, rubbing a hand through his hair. “But why is he a talking cat?”

 

Morgana’s paw curls towards his sling-shot. I step between the two. “Ah… I guess we’ll be working to figure that one out too.” I tilt my head at Morgana. “Supposing we team up again?”

 

Morgana waves his cutlass, and the silhouette of Zorro appears for an instant before I feel a warm breeze rush through us, as if to blow the damage and fatigue we had sustained earlier away.

 

“I thought you'd never ask!”

 

I make a face at him. “You totally knew we were about to ask.”

\----

 

With Morgana on the team, the four of us are finally taking down more shadows than we're having to run away from. 

 

Sometimes we still have to brute force our way through, but Morgana’s wind blasts seem to knock down certain shadows every time, and, every now and then, my guns do the same. 

 

Things continue in this vein as we explore the castle until…

 

“Please!” A lone shadow begs after I shoot her down. “Show mercy!”

 

I stop in my tracks, stunned. This is the first time I’ve seen a shadow lose interest in fighting. The others catch on to my hesitation and draw closer, keeping their weapons out.

 

I eye the shadow. A winged girl with form-fitting clothes and a beguiling expression. Her hair’s styled in a fluffy pixie cut, much like mine. Now that I’m looking instead of fighting, I catch the fear in her expression. 

 

**Shit… She looks like a human kid, almost.**

 

I swallow, feeling a bit sick as I consider that the shadows are aware enough to not want to die.

 

_ She's playing you. You're looking at an unattached Persona. A Mask, or Shadow, without an actual heart to guard. As a projection from the Sea, there is no possibility of death here for her to fear. _

 

I raise my gun.  **So we just kill her then?**

 

_ Hm? If you wish. That’s not the only option we have here though. _

 

I frown at the shadow, before relaxing my stance and stepping forward. 

 

“Mercy?” I shake my head and scowl. “Sorry. If we let you go, you’ll just be back for more once you're feeling better.” I cross my arms, still gripping my handgun. “Or worse, you’ll show up and start healing other Shadows.”

 

“Argh…” She crosses her arms and pouts for a few seconds, before perking up and snapping her fingers. “Then why don't I just team up with you instead?” The girl peeks up at me through lidded eyes. “If I’m your Persona, I can only help you, you know.”

 

“I already have a Persona.” I shoot her down with words, preparing my gun to do the same.

 

“Aw…” She bats her eyes. “I think you can make some room in your heart for lil old me.” She floats up closer and whispers, jerking a thumb in Ann’s direction. “I can even help you get closer to your pretty friend over there.” 

 

“Whoa, hey!” Ryuji fires a shot in the air. “Stay away from her!” Morgana bats him in the leg with his paw.

 

“Quiet, idiot! These are important negotiations!”

 

I eye her one more time, wondering what she's planning, then sigh. Whatever happens, at least it’ll be interesting, right? 

 

“Okay. I accept.”

 

The girl looks up at me, and then flies back to where she was lying before.

 

“Aw, I knew we could get along!” She smiles, waving a finger. “I remember now! I’m not just some lackey of Kamoshida’s. I came straight from the Sea of Souls.” She looks me in the eyes. “We’re made of the same stuff, you and me!” 

 

With that, she disperses into light, and flies into my mask. I feel a presence settle in, next to Irene.

 

Morgana runs up to me, looking ecstatic. “You got another Persona?! Talk about a Wild Card!” He pumps his paw into the air, bursting with excitement. “I knew there was something about you!”

 

Ann frowned. “So, what? You have two Personas now?”

 

_ Yep!  _

 

I shrug and walk over to Ann, who’s still banged up from the fight. “Her name’s Pixie.” is all I offer for explanation as I call her out to cast Dia on our group.

 

\---

 

We explore the Castle some more, trying to find another way into the area of the castle that corresponds with the faculty office. Eventually, Morgana stops us, shaking his head.

 

“The distortion is just too strong.” He explains. “It's going to be hard to find things that correspond with reality in a way that makes sense to you, because this entire area is, by nature, a delusion.”  That made sense, even though we could drop straight in, there was no way to reason out the way that the castle was laid out.

 

Ann stops, stomping a foot. “We can't give up just yet! If we can't find something we can use to stop him now…” She looks down, clenching her fists. “Every day that Kamoshida lives in this… sick fantasy… is a day where he's making our friends suffer!”

 

“Hm… Maybe you should just accept it then.” As one, our heads snap up. It's Ann, or at least, Kamoshida’s Ann. She's flanked by two shadow captains. Toilet Demons… They must be her personal guard then.

 

“I mean,” she waved an arm towards her doppelgänger “isn't playing hard-to-get such a drag?” 

 

“ _ I’m not playing hard to get. _ ” Ann growls out, voice low and dangerous. 

 

Morgana scowls. “I didn’t think a cognition could develop this far… He must be really obsessed with her.”

 

Ryuji looks between the two, “A cog-what’sit?”

 

“Ugh... You're hopeless..." Morgana points at bikini-girl. "That’s not Lady Ann. That’s how Kamoshida  _ thinks of  _ Lady Ann. What she’s saying, how she looks… It all comes straight from him. She's part of this palace.”

 

“Sicko…” I mutter, respectfully trying to avert my eyes from the mostly-naked, Ann-shaped thing.

 

“Correction!” The cognition chimes in over-sweetly. “This is all how I am!” Her grin grows sly. “Kamoshida's just the only one who really noticed..." At our blank looks, she puffed a cheek, annoyed. "You know, not every rumor you hear in school is just a rumor. Most people just look at me and see a half-breed, but Kamoshida knew I was a catch from the moment we met.” She winks. “He knows we’re young, so he took it slow… At first, he saw that we were lonely, so he offered a shoulder to cry on… Then some defense here and there from the girls who would steal our shoes or put…” she made a face. “ _ things _ in our locker. Offering rides here, letting our best friend onto his esteemed volleyball team there…” The cognition waves a hand. “Really! It would seem that he’s long since earned our favor. He’s our hero.” She bats her eyes. “We shouldn’t be letting our sensibilities hold us back from offering him what he deserves.” 

 

“Shut up!” Ann’s eyes are wide. She looks genuinely taken aback. “He’s no hero.”

 

“Hm… It’s such a shame.” Queen Ann pokes a finger to her cheek, feigning thoughtfulness. “Why does our King have to spend  _ all  _ of that effort going through Suzui now?” Her eyes narrow. “He’s just trying to get your attention, you know. It was so much easier before you had friends like her.” She waves a hand. “Ah well! She won’t be a problem much longer.” The cognition’s eyes harden. “With what she’s going through, I bet she’ll transfer out before the week is up.”

 

My stomach sinks at the implications. Was there any humanity in this guy?

 

Ann cringes for a second, “Keep your hands  _ off  _ of her! This has nothing to do with Shiho!” 

 

The other just shrugs and continues, guards standing at attention as she paces the length of the hall.

 

“You know, all it would take to get him to leave Suzui alone is a little more… attention from us again.” She winks at Ann, swaying her hips. “After that first time, it shouldn't take so much to get us into bed.” She puts a hand to her cheek. “I mean, we may be used goods now, but he treated us  _ so well!”  _ she gushes. “I honestly don't see what the issue is with letting that go on?” She holds out a hand. “Didn’t we have a good thing going?”

 

Ann silently shoves the hand away, eyes wet and face twisted into disgust. 

 

“I mean, don't get me wrong, Shiho’s a close second, as much as she whines, and I'm sure you know that hm?" Not-Ann licks her lips. "Still, shouldn't it be the  _ Queen _ who satisfies her King.”

 

And then something snaps. “You…  _ need to fucking shut your mouth. _ ” Ann screeches, eyes going gold. She rushes the other, ducking under the guard’s lance. Hooking her leg around her doppelgänger’s she pushes the bikini-clad girl to the floor, yanking one arm up and pushing her sneaker into her spine.

 

“You're  _ not me _ , so don’t pretend that you know what you’re talking about.” she says, dropping the girl to the ground but not giving the guards any as they approach. “We didn't see him for what he was at first.” Idly, she spins Ryuji’s mom’s machete around in her hand. “He was nice to us, when nobody else was. He was mature. And yeah, he was handsome.” She tilts her head. “I honestly didn’t have any issues with the whole thing...until he started messing with Shiho whenever he wasn’t getting his way.”

 

Ann stabs the machete into the girl. “Still…doing favors... Pretending at basic decency. Getting on my good side...” With a flick of the sword, the Queen dissipates. Ann staggers as a red mask flares into existence over the top half of her face. “ **_It doesn’t leave him entitled to fucking jack!_ ** ” 

 

Suddenly, Ann’s on the ground, screaming and sweating and grabbing at the mask, which she finally rips off, leaving her face a bloody mess as she bursts into blue flames.

 

“ **_Come forth, Carmen!”_ **

 

And suddenly, the world explodes into fire and ice. We try to deal what damage we can, but almost single-handedly, Ann burns the captains to the ground. 

 

When it's over, she's cutting an imposing figure in the middle of the hallway, a whip in her hand and glowing stained glass behind her. Just looking at her expression fires me up...

 

**I don’t know if I want to be her or be hers...**

 

Irene’s voice rings with disapproval.  _ Considering everything that just happened that’s in really bad taste.  _

 

_ She's taken, anyways. Focus, dummy!  _ Pixie helpfully chimes in.

 

I smile and fistbump Ann. “Nice work.” Ryuji throws an arm over each of our shoulders, grinning at her. “That. Was freaking awesome!!!” 

 

I check the alert gauge (50%) along with the time on my phone, before looking around at the others. “It's getting late. We should call it a day.”

 

Ann slumps. “We didn't find out  _ anything,  _ though.” Morgana turns to me, looking thoughtful.

 

“You guys want to stop the Ruler of this Palace, right?”

 

Together, we answer the affirmative. Morgana frowns for a second, deep in thought. “Y’know… I could tell you a thing or two about what to do with him.”

 

He seems to come to a decision, striking a pose and pointing at me. “Take me to your world with you!”

 

Ryuji jumps back. “What!?”

 

Morgana crosses his arms. “Like I said, there are things we can do about Kamoshida.” He tilts his head. “Just...nothing we can pull off today.” 

 

“For real!?”

 

“Yeah… But if we split up here, who knows when I’ll find you again? I’m coming with you!”

 

I adjust my gloves, frowning. “Morgana… you’ve been awfully kind.” We seemed to have fallen into a habit of helping each-other without question. It felt incredibly natural, but I had to be at least a bit suspicious. “And helpful. Can I ask what you’re looking to accomplish by helping us?” At this point, I’d feel a bit better if he had a motive…

 

“Heh-heh…” He rubbed the back of his ear. “Well… It’s like you said. I want to get my memories back.”  He scowled at Ryuji. “I’m not a cat, you know… But I don’t remember how I ended up as one, or… anything, really.”

 

Morgana stood a little straighter. “Plus...I’ve been wandering around the Metaverse for a long time… and Akira’s only the second person I’ve ever met! This could be the only shot I have at doing something about,” he waves at himself  “-this.”

 

I frowned. Someone else had been here? “Who was the first?”

 

Morgana shrugged. “I don’t know. Someone small.” He shook his head. “They ran away as soon as they saw me.” He scowled. “That doesn’t matter though! Take me with you, and I can help you take down Kamoshida.”

 

“And we’ll help you find your memories afterwards?” I looked to the others for confirmation.

 

Well, I could always pretend that he's a stuffed cat…

 

\---Late Afternoon---

 

_ Navigation Complete. Returning to the real world. _

 

Or a real cat, apparently. As mine and Ann’s costumes dissipated, Morgana took on the form of a black kitten. After putting our gear away, the four of us head to the train station.

 

I look down at Morgana, who’s walking beside us, trotting slightly in order to keep up.

 

**I know he’s not a cat… but he makes a really cute one!** I gush internally, keeping the thoughts off of my face.

 

Irene sighs.  _ Just try not to drive your Magician away. It’s incredibly hard to, loyal as they are...  _

 

_ I’m sure that you’d manage somehow, though!  _  I was really beginning to dislike Pixie…

 

She seemed to pick up on my thoughts.  _ Hey, rag on me all you want. I’m you too, y’know? _

 

I sigh. First thing I’m doing once I’m off parole is finding a good therapist…

 

\---Evening---

 

We decide that Morgana will stay with me. Or… well, Morgana has to hide in  _ someone’s _ bag on the train, and I’m the only one with enough space in mine, courtesy of Ann’s gym clothes. 

 

She sticks her tongue out at me. “Laundry day! Sorry!”

 

After we split ways in Shibuya, I show Morgana where I live.

 

“Oh! This place smells great!” His eyes are shining a little. 

 

“Yeah… Hopefully Sakura-san won’t mind you crashing with me.” I’m a little worried. “I won’t know what to do if he does.”

 

The bell rings as I step inside. Thankfully, the cafe looks empty tonight. Sojiro immediately steps out from behind the counter.

 

“Kurusu… You’re late. Again.” He looks me up and down, either suspicious or concerned. “You look like something the cat dragged in.” He frowns. “You better not be getting into more trouble.”

 

“Actually…” I start, as Morgana sits outside, patiently staring through the glass. “I think I kinda dragged in the cat…”

 

Sojiro stares. Morgana blinks slowly. He turns to me for an explanation. I honestly can’t tell if he’s upset or not.

 

“Um…” I start, watching his expression for any clues. “Some friends and I were playing a little baseball after school, and he was there… and he… kinda followed me home?” 

 

_ To your credit, you aren’t actually lying. _

 

“Friends, huh?” He warms up, smiling a little. “They’d have to be pretty strange to want to spend time with you.”

 

“Hey!”

 

Sojiro puts a hand to his chin. “Just… make sure you’re careful with the kind of friends that you’re picking up, if you don’t want them ruining your life.”

 

I stare at him flatly. “Who hurt you?”

 

He yawns. “Look at the time.”

 

“It’s 7:00.”

 

“You should think about how I feel having to stay up waiting for you.”

 

“The cafe’s still open…” I start to argue, before I see the joke in his expression. 

 

“And I better not come in to find a cat in it during restaurant hours.” He adds. “I’ve gotta follow health code, so animals are a no go.” He opens the door, letting Morgana in.

 

Sojiro turns to me, holding up a finger. “That means, if we’re going to keep it around, you don’t let it roam around downstairs at all, and I better not hear it while there are customers around.”

 

“I’m not an it!”

 

“Oh, and I’m not going to take care of her.”

 

“Him.” I add.

 

He nods. “That’s all on you.” Sojiro looks at the clock, and then shakes his head. “My number’s on the fridge. Text me next time you’ve got something to do after school. I’m heading home.”

 

“The cafe’s still open...” I remind him.

 

“Then flip the sign!” He calls back, as he passes through the door with said sign on it.

 

“Okay…” A smile creeps up on my face. Sojiro would either make an awesome parent, or a terrible one. 

 

I pick Morgana up and begin to carry him upstairs. Surprisingly, he doesn’t argue. “So that’s the ruler of this place…” Morgana presses himself against my leg. 

 

“Yep. He’s the boss around here.”

 

“He seems pretty understanding.”

 

I nod. “Understatement. If he wasn’t, I’d probably already have been kicked out of here by now.” I wasn’t exactly the easiest person to handle. The bell downstairs rings. Sojiro must have forgotten something.

 

I let him down as we reach the attic. He looks around. “Well… this is a dump.”

 

“It’s my dump for the year.” I tilt my head, considering. “Well, our dump now.”

 

It’s cute how he physically tries not to light up at the statement. Instead, he tries to pass off his pleasure as smugness. “Well then, we have some serious cleaning up to do.” He yawns. “Not right now, though. It’s late.”

 

“It’s not even 7:30.” I turn my head as I hear Sojiro coming up the stairs. He comes in holding a dish and carton of milk, putting it down on my bed next to Morgana.

 

“I don’t keep normal groceries at the cafe, so I figured you’d need this.” He says, as he pets Morgana behind the ears. “Once it runs out, you’ll have to start getting him food yourself, though.”

 

I look at him with wide eyes, more a little stunned by the kindness. “...Thanks.”

 

He rubs the back of his head. “By the way, have you decided on a name?”

 

I nod. “His name’s Morgana.”

 

“Morgana, huh?” Sojiro looks down. “I was hoping I’d get to name him…” He looks genuinely chagrined as he leaves the room.

 

Morgana preens. “Hey! It looks like the boss likes me better than you.” He jumps off of the bed, pacing around the room. “Anyways, this place is heaven compared to the Metaverse.” He shudders, before looking up at me. “Honestly, I think it was the Metaverse’s distortions that made me lose my memories and true form…” He shakes his head. “There’s no way that I wasn’t human before… The distortions must have changed me somehow. How else could a cat be talking like this?”

 

I smile helplessly. When it came to touchy issues like this, it was usually best to give people the space to come to their own conclusions. Besides, who was I to question the magic talking cat-not-cat? “Well, whatever happened, it seems that you’re welcome to stay here as long as you need.”

 

Morgana nods. “Yeah. I’m glad I found you guys.” He jumps up onto the windowsill. “There might be a way for us to purge these distortions, you know? Starting with Kamoshida’s.”

 

“Purging the distortion? Is that how we’re going to stop him?” 

 

“Yeah.” He looks down. “There are a couple of ways to get it done, but however you go about it, Kamoshida shouldn’t be able to hurt anyone ever again once we’re finished.” He stretches. “And that works out for me. I’ve got a feeling that purging these distortions will help me recover my memories and form. That’s why I was in that palace in the first place.”

 

“Yeah. Irene said that the shadows there were way weaker than they’d be in other palaces.”

 

Morgana looks surprised. “Your Persona talks to you?”

 

I nod. “I might just have gone crazy though…” I say matter-of-factly as I change into my night-clothes. “I’ve been hearing voices on and off since I was stuck in solitary. Been dreaming about this awful blue prison too.” 

 

I had looked it up once I was released. The psychological effects of being locked up alone for as long as I had been were… extreme, even in their mildest forms. Hallucinations, panic attacks, insomnia, diminished impulse control… the list went on for awhile, and none of it was pretty… or unfamiliar. I suspected that Sojiro was read up on the effects as well; It was probably the easiest explanation for the way he had been treating me. His kindness suggested he knew the truth behind my sentence, but he still treated me as if he was expecting me to act irrationally in every situation. Honestly, he was probably right.

 

Morgana’s quiet for a while as he cleans out the dish of milk. I hope I didn’t scare him too much. After he’s done, I bring it downstairs and clean it up, before coming back to plop down into bed. 

 

Finally, he deigns to speak to me again. “Let’s make this clear: Your taking care of me won’t be for nothing. It’ll be give and take. I could…” he thinks for a second. “teach you how to make infiltration tools for example. Lockpicks, smoke-bombs, that kind of stuff.”

 

I frown. “My bobby pins worked fine before.” 

 

Morgana huffs. “That’s because Kamoshida himself believes that silly myth that bobby pins can open any lock. If we ever go into the palace of someone smarter...” He seems to realize something, before pulling at his scarf, revealing… one of my bobby pins, identifiable by the small red stars I liked to attach to them.

 

I jump. “How’d you get that!?”

 

“I… borrowed it.” He grins. “These let you get through the Palace pretty easily, and they sure worked for me!”

 

“Glad it helped.” I say, dryly. 

 

“So how about it?” He prods. “I teach you about infiltration tools, and you let me stay here. Deal?” 

 

Honestly, I was content to just let him mooch. But… he mentioned smoke bombs. How could I turn that down. 

 

“Sure.” My mouth twists into a subtle smirk. “It sounds interesting”

 

“All right! I like that answer. It’s a deal!”  

 

Morgana looked really happy. Suddenly, I felt a rush of… it almost felt like hope. The two of us were just grasping onto whatever we could in hopes that we could make something work for us, after all. For a moment, it seemed to resonate between us.

 

_ Thou hast acquired a new vow, _

_ It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity, _

_ With the birth of the Magician persona, _

_ I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power… _

 

It was the same voice as before…

 

**Okay, do I have another Persona in here that I don’t know about or what?**

 

Morgana yawns, and I do the same. He looks up at me. “I’ll tell you more about that later. It’s really late.”

 

“It’s 8:00.” I yawn again.

 

“And the Metaverse really wears on a person.”

 

“But it’s 8:00.”

 

“And you kinda look like you’re getting sick.”

 

“I always look like that.” I say as I pick up my journal. “And it’s 8:00.”

 

\---{4/14}---

Today I…

Tried using that navigation app again.

(Still got lost…)

Played baseball with some friends. And pumpkins.

 

Found out my friend was a closet dominatrix.

Began questioning my sexuality.

Stopped worrying about sexuality and adopted a cat instead.

(The cat self-identifies as a human. Be polite.)

 

The cat offered to teach me how to pick locks and assemble bombs.

(I bet you were thinking he’d be a  _ good  _ influence ;P)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this one got away from me. This story's at 75 pages already, and I haven't even gotten through what the game sets as the tutorials...hehehe.
> 
> I felt like maybe touching on what was implied first with Ann would work a little better than her original awakening. In fact, I feel like this situation was even implied by her original situation/awakening. "I'm not some cheap girl you can toy with, you scumbag." Eh... take it or leave it. Even in canon, the story's all over the place, so you can come to all kinds of conclusions. 
> 
> Anyways, I really thought about this. I'm writing Ann with the assumption that she knew exactly what she was doing, but thought that she was doing it with somebody she could trust. It fits with Carmen, and it fits with Ann IMO. Plus, if canon!Akira can have the nerve to date a teacher, why can't she?
> 
> Fun Fact: That stuff about solitary is real. Look it up if you're curious. It's an actual issue with both American and Japanese prisons. While both countries have policies against straight up torture, and both acknowledge that solitary is very harmful... They refuse to practically connect those two facts. The prison systems are pretty awful in both places, with American prisons exploiting prisoners for money/labor and gaming the system to keep them there forever, and Japan even taking solitary up to eleven by doing this thing called keiheikin, which is solitary, but while handcuffed, in an incredibly small cell that forces you onto your knees. Again, that's not political. That's not a social justice blurb. Those are facts that you can look up. It's awful.
> 
> Seriously though. This game glosses over some touchy issues. And in the spirit of Social Justice Warriors: The Game, I'm trying not to do that, so if I'm not treating one well, let me know. (Just take into account that our protagonist is a bit of an ass. A Protagon-Ass. They always are.)


	10. In which 'seeing it coming' doesn't do crap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: If the situation with Kamoshida, or Shiho's suicide attempt caused you any distress while playing the game, this chapter probably will too.

[4/15]

I flail around under the sheets. I can’t move, or rather, as I try to sit up, I feel something pressing down on me.

 

“Ah!” I stiffen, muffling a surprised scream, before I realize where I am.  I finally sit up, and Morgana bounces off of my chest, dropping onto my legs.

 

“Hey!” He pouts, batting at his face with a paw as if to rub his eyes. “What gives?”

 

I don’t feel enough like myself to use words, so I decide not to respond. Simply kicking the covers away from myself and holding them at arm’s length. Gross... In spite of the attic’s chill, I had managed to make them damp with sweat again. It hadn’t even been a week...

 

I made a mental note to spend some of the money we had won off of the shadows on a spare set. We had split the loot four ways, with me managing Morgana’s share as well as my own. Still, I doubted it would be enough. I would need to be thinking about finding part-time work... if there were any businesses that would hire a criminal.

 

“Akira...” Morgana whines, kneading his claws into my sweatshirt. “Go back to sleep…”

 

“I’m not Akira.” I joke. I flop back into the bed, making sure that Morgana settles by my side instead of on top of me. “I’m just a projection of your subconscious. This was all a dream...” I trail off. Facing Morgana, I wiggle my fingers in the air and make spooky noises. He looks unimpressed.

 

I pass the next few hours by rolling around, trying out a new position every few minutes in order to find a way to sleep comfortably in the cold of the attic. I try pulling the blankets back up, but then reconsider and kick them off again. This happens a handful of times before Morgana starts fussing at me again. Eventually I settle in a position with the blankets covering my feet, and Morgana at my side, staring at the ceiling and trying to stay still so at least he can sleep.

 

Around five in the morning, I give up on sleeping at all. I grumble something in Morgana’s direction, and trudge downstairs towards the bathroom. I’ll have plenty of time to clean up and get ready for school, at least. Maybe I’ll have time to start poking through the pile of books that Sojiro stores in the attic…

 

I return to find Morgana stepping on my phone. We stare at each-other.

 

“Eh-heh…” His tail twitches. “It was making noises. I was trying to get it to stop.” He looks really shifty. I wondered what he was trying to pull.

 

I let him squirm in the silence for a few beats before I sigh, running a hand through my wet hair. “Dude, climbing into my bed is one thing. But trying to go through my phone?” I shake my head. “That’s a little bit not cool.” I couldn’t find it in me to be upset or even care. It’s not like the kid had anything of his own. “Ask first next time.”

 

**I’m… probably going to have to worry about this kid snooping through absolutely everything I own, aren’t I?**

 

 _He_ _is_ _a thief._ I feel a wave of fondness from Irene. Huh. She(/we) must be a cat person. _Besides, it’s prudent to find out as much as you can about those that you will be counting on._

 

 _And you know what they say about curiosity and cats, right?_ Pixie adds. She seemed to have made it a personal mission to talk to me as much as Irene did, much to my displeasure. There was just something about cutesy voices that ticked me off, even when they were technically my own.

 

I reach down to pick it up and scroll through my messages. Quietly, I resolved to delete my internet history the next time that I was alone. The fact that I had been searching for things like, ‘ bald men with glasses Japan’ and ‘police is whose bitch’ would raise some embarrassing questions. The fact that I was now using terms like ‘police benefactors Subaru City,’ probably didn’t need to be spread around either. It wasn’t like the search had borne fruit yet, if it ever would, but still…

 

That was a personal project.

 

There was a missed call from an unknown number, but it had been made yesterday afternoon. I decide not to bring that detail up to my new, apparently nosy, roommate. Morgana crawls onto my shoulder as I Google the number, confirming it to be a campaign-bot for some guy who was trying to make it into the running for prime-minister in the fall elections. Apparently, it was never to early to start bugging people to bug their representatives...

 

Annoying. I sigh, and block the number. “I’m not even old enough to vote. Sheesh.”

 

I read through a stream of notifications from the ‘Castle Crushers’ chat. Looking at the time-stamps, I must have missed an entire conversation. I really wasn’t used to using my phone or texting this often… Until I could keep up with the big city kids, I’d have to be careful not to forget that it existed.  

 

Quickly, and with increasing worry, I scroll through the messages.

 

[Ann: Kamoshida just tried to call me up again.

 

Ann: Told him I was sick.  

 

Ann: Wasn’t totally lying. I’m exhausted.

 

Ryuji: For real? You okay?

 

Ann: Yeah. I hung up on him before he could say or try anything.

 

Ann: Knowing that we’re doing something about that shithead, I’m more annoyed than scared now.

 

Ryuji: Hell yeah! I can’t wait till we get strong enough to kick his shadow-ass!

 

Ryuji: Hey Akira! Ask that cat. What exactly are we gonna be doing about this guy?

 

Ryuji: Akira?

 

Ryuji: Yo.

 

Ryuji: Kurusu. Answer your phone.

 

Ann: She might already be asleep. It says she’s offline…

 

Ryuji: Damn, really? It’s like 8:00.

 

Ann: Hey, I’m really tired too. She’s probably got the right idea.]

 

My stomach sinks, and something must have show on my face because Morgana immediately asks me to lower the phone into his field of vision. He snorts and licks at his paw. “You know… If you want to be a good leader, you really should be more attentive to your teammates.”

 

I frown at Morgana. **Leader? What gave him that idea?**

 

_Hmph. That question doesn’t deserve the dignity of a response._

 

Pixie was a little nicer. _You_ _have_ _been the one calling the shots this whole time. Planning expeditions, leading your friends into battle, maintaining group morale… You don’t have all the bases covered, but there really isn’t another word for it._

 

 **Still, that sounds so... official. I don’t like it.** Partially because it seemed like I was the only one of us who bothered to pay attention to the things that I _didn’t_ want to see. No… that wasn’t fair. We went home high off of a victory yesterday, it made sense that we’d forget how severe our situation was...

 

I shook my head. In spite of the fact that the sun hadn’t risen yet, I lit up the group chat.

 

[Akira: Crap.

 

Akira: I just saw this, sorry.

 

Akira: Seriously, so sorry.

 

Akira: You guys were listening to Not-Ann yesterday, right?

 

Akira: About what Kamoshida would do when Ann wasn’t giving him attention?]

 

I wasn’t going to wait for them to catch on. I could only hope that they were awake at this time.

 

[Akira: Don’t panic, but @Ann, you need to make sure Suzui is okay.

 

Akira: The incident with Kamoshida that I recorded on my phone...

 

Akira: That happened after we aggravated Shadow Kamoshida the first time.

 

Akira: Even if we only dealt with a cognition yesterday, it was still a projection of his psyche…

 

Akira: We should be extra careful as we proceed.]

 

“Hm…” Morgana peers over my shoulder as I type. “I couldn’t have said it better myself. Humans are inextricably linked to their cognitive worlds...” He catches my eyes. “If we take advantage of that, we should be able to take down that king, no problem.”

 

I nod at Morgana, still frowning. There was ‘no problem’ aside from the damage Kamoshida was doing in the meantime…

 

Ryuji remains inactive, but Ann responds pretty quickly.

 

[Ann: Just texted Shiho. She said she was fine.]

 

I groan to myself. Class-rep said the same thing, and he had a concussion. Ann was smart though, along with being a major worry-wart. She’d make a point to catch Suzui before school. It was possible that Ann’s friend had gone home unbothered, aside from the ‘special training’ that only she and class-rep seemed to be getting, but we still needed to be keeping as close of an eye as we could on the students who Kamoshida targeted anyways.

 

**Still, if Kamoshida does pull anything. What can we do besides what we’re already doing?**

 

I hear the bell ring downstairs and check the time. Yeah… it’s about time for Sojiro to start prepping  the cafe. Grabbing the sheets off of the bed, I fold them and stuff them into my bag, planning to do laundry again as soon as I get some free time outside of the Metaverse. Morgana approaches my bag, then crawls inside.

 

Oh yeah… I was going to have to take him to Shujin with me, wasn’t I? There’d be no time to come back and forth and still explore the castle. I hoped that he could behave himself during the school day.

 

“Padding?” He sniffs at the sheets. “It’s a little gross, but I appreciate the consideration.” Sure… Consideration... Let’s go with that.

 

“Are you going to be okay in there?” I ask. “You’ll have to be still and quiet for a long time.”

 

“I’ll just sleep.” He makes a face at me. “It’s not like we got any last night.”

 

“Heh-heh…” I rub the back of my neck. “My bad.” It seemed that, lately, I was only sleepy when I needed to be awake, and only awake when I needed to be sleepy.

 

I slip downstairs, where Sojiro is prepping the cafe to open. As Sojiro starts digging under the counter, I approach it, feeling sneaky. Silently, I slip into the chair in front of him and raise a hand.

 

“Yo.”

 

To my disappointment, he doesn’t jump or look startled at all. It doesn’t even seem to phase him. Talk about nerves of steel. Calmly, he pulls out a large pot, setting it on the counter. “Nice try.”

 

Sojiro looks me over, clearly unsatisfied with something he sees. He starts to say something, but then shakes his head, changing his mind. “Get that cat out of your bag.” He grumbles. “We don’t open for another hour. As long as he stays out of trouble, it should be fine.”

 

In spite of myself, I jump. How did he notice...? Morgana doesn’t change the shape of my bag at all...

 

Morgana pokes his head out. “Wow. I guess we can’t get anything past the Boss, huh?” Yup. That… could be a problem in the future. I look back to him, narrowing my eyes. Did he have x-ray vision or something?

 

“You’re up early.” Sojiro comments, setting some vegetables and a few apples on the counter. “I guess  you’ve got time then.” He hands me a box of knives and points to the spread. “Cut those, dice these, and grate that.”

 

\---Early Morning---

 

I still smell Leblanc on myself as I climb the hill to Shujin. A hazard of living in a restaurant, I guess. I sniff under my arm. It wasn’t like I smelled bad or anything.

 

“I can’t believe Suzui-senpai missed such an important meeting! I wonder what happened.” My head snaps up, and nonchalantly, I trail after the two girls I had overheard. First-years. Judging by the bruises, they were probably on the volleyball team.

 

“Kamoshida-sensei asked to see her...” one says, watching her feet.

 

The other looks to her friend, voice low enough that I have to creep closer. “Y’know, I’ve been hearing rumors about how Kamoshida-sensei and Suzui-senpai stay late…”  She shakes her head. “She always shows up to meetings though. It’s weird that she wasn’t at the one yesterday…”

 

I try not to look like I’m panicking as I stride past them.

 

I stop to use the second-year bathrooms. A convenient place to send messages.

 

[Akira: @Ann Please tell me you’ve talked to Suzui today.

 

Ann: We walked to school together. She’s…

 

Ann: I can’t say okay, but she looks the same as she did yesterday.]

 

I sigh. “Shit… Suzui...”

 

Someone sniffs. “Yes?” A voice comes from the stall behind me.

 

I turn around, wondering at my luck. “Suzui? Is that you?”

 

“Kurusu?” She pokes her head out of the stall. She seems to be taking care to hold her hand behind the door. I briefly wonder what she’s hiding, before deciding to mind my business… provisionally.

 

I smile, feeling kind of sheepish. “Ah- Suzui... It’s really good to see you.”

 

She gives me a flat look for a few seconds... before relaxing her stance and sighing. “What do you want, Kurusu?”

 

“I had heard some volleyball girls talking on the way to school.” I frown, looking down. “They said some scary stuff. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

 

She stands there silently, staring at me like I’ve grown a second head. “I’ve been better. Thanks…” Suzui trails off, confused. “Um, for worrying?”

 

Oh… I realize what’s going on now… “Seriously... I’m not looking to interrogate you. Or to try to convince you to give up on volleyball.” I frown, stuffing my hands into my coat pockets. So far, I had blown basically every conversation I had had with this girl, hadn’t I? “Like I said, I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” I look away, biting my cheek.

 

I hear Morgana yawn. He peeks out of my bag. “Oh? Who’s this?”

 

“A cat!?” Shizui slips whatever she had been holding into her bag and comes towards me. She crouches in towards me, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Kurusu! Are you _actually_ insane?”

 

I...wasn’t sure how to answer that, so I didn’t. Shizui looks around, then leans in and quietly asks.

 

“Can I pet him?” I feel Morgana bristle in my bag.

 

I grin. “Morgana, this is Shiho Suzui. She’s a friend of mine and Ann’s” I smirk at him, before attempting a fancy accent. “Would you so deign to let her pet you?”

 

He sighs and makes a face, trying to think of a reason to protest, before sticking his head further out of my bag. “I guess… Anything for a friend of Lady-Ann’s…”

 

Shiho reaches over to rub him behind the ears. “He’s just a kitten, isn’t he?” She turns to me, smiling slightly. “Where did you find him?”

 

“Here, actually. Somebody had just left him locked in one of the rooms downstairs.”

 

“That’s awful!”

 

Morgana nods. “I’ll say.” He sniffs. “Those guards have NO idea how to properly maintain a jail cell.”

 

I turn to Shiho. “Yeah… I can’t leave him at home-”

 

“-because ‘home’ is a restaurant.” Shiho finishes. I was surprised she remembered that.

 

“Yeah. You got it.” I poke Morgana in the forehead, signaling for him to slide back inside the bag. “So I’m just taking him literally everywhere I go. He’s smart enough to stay quiet.” I adjust the bag as Morgana shifts around. “And he lets me know when he needs to find a place to stretch his legs.”

 

We both turn as the first bell rings, signaling the last five minutes before class.

 

“There’s our cue.”

 

Shiho nods. “Yeah, you go ahead. I need to-” She looks down at whatever it was that she had hidden inside of her bag, and without warning, dread seems to hit her like a physical force.

 

She curls over, grabbing her stomach with one hand and placing a fist over her mouth with the other.  “I need to-” She tries again, voice shaking. “Um, I…” She looks down in her bag again, grabbing something and looking closer. “I still need to go!” She backs into the stall again, slamming the door in front of my face.

 

“Suzui?”

 

“Kurusu…” All I can see is her feet, but I imagine she’s slumped over, with a face as defeated as her voice sounds. “Just… mind your own business for once.”

 

Morgana chimes in, clearly uncomfortable. “She’s hiding from us in a bathroom stall, Akira... I think we need to go.”

 

I stand there for a second. I can’t think of anything else to say or do…

 

I hear her sob into her hands as I walk away.

 

\---Morning---

 

Somehow, Morgana’s made it into my desk. I have no recollection of putting him in there, but when I reach down for my note-pad, I’m startled by bright blue eyes staring up at me.

 

He kneads his claws into my History book. “There’s more room in here. If I have to watch you all day, I at least want a comfy spot.”

 

“Hm. Did I just hear a cat?” Shit. Ushimaru-sensei.

 

“Ah-uh… M-Meow!” The hell, Morgana? What was that going to do?

 

“Could there be a cat somewhere in the school?” Ushimaru seems to realize that he’s stopped teaching. “Anyways, settle down! We’re in the middle of an important lecture!”

 

My phone vibrates… I hold it in my lap so Morgana can see.

 

[Ryuji: Can we just skip class and go already?

 

Ryuji: The athletes just look worse and worse every day.

 

Ryuji: How’s that snooty furball planning on stopping Kamoshida anyways?]

 

I make a face, which Morgana mirrors. “He… does know I’m reading these, right?”

 

I don’t get the chance to respond. On the other side of the classroom, a boy stands up. “Hey… What’s that!?” He points out the window.

 

Ushimaru scolds him. “That’s enough! Sit down.”

 

Another girl holds a hand to her mouth. “Wait… She’s going to jump!”

 

Class rep jumps to his feet, as other students begin to follow suit. “Suzui?”

 

“Shiho?” Ann’s shaking as she stands up and looks towards the window.

 

“Hey, you! Stay in your seats! Do not step foot outside of this room!” Ushimaru yells as Ann sprints outside. Without thought, my legs carry me after her.

 

 **This can’t be happening.** I think as I watch Ann press herself against the window, eyes filling. I look over her shoulder. Suzui’s on the roof, not even hanging on to the safety barriers. She only seems to have eyes for the ground.

 

We watch Suzui throw herself down. Ann grabs at her mouth and makes a broken sound, before backing up. She trips over me as she sprints towards the courtyard.

 

Across the hallway, I catch Ryuji’s eyes. We nod at each-other and follow her down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if anyone caught the reference...


End file.
